In a patriarchal society such as ours that accords subordinate status to women, the position of a girl child is indeed vulnerable. In case of financial difficulties, it is the girl child whose education is sacrificed in order to manage the household and take care of the younger children at home. The dowry system, deeply rooted in the culture and customs of most communities in India, is a cause of harassment for most women. This has led to a situation where the girl child is treated as a guest in her own home.
Dowry means the demand made by the bridegroom's family from the bride's parents for the payment of money as well as other costly gifts like land, house, clothes and jewels, a condition precedent to the alliance. It is basically a Hindu institution, which is now spreading to other communities. Dowry, in fact, is not a recent development.
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