Dowry is a big factor in enforcing patriarchy and gender inequality in new marriages. Dowry endows as end of entitlement in men. In some cultures like the South Asian cultures it is the bride who gives dowry while in others like the African cultures the man gives dowry to the bride’s father and extended family. In both situations it is the women who are being treated as less than equal.
Australasian Centre has achieved very significant milestones in the campaign against dowry for example
- Our organization the Australasian Centre for Human Rights and Health has campaigned publically against dowry since 2012. We also started a petition against dowry that was tabled in the State Parliament on three occasions. The petition demanded that dowry demands be made illegal by placing them under “Economical Abuse” section of the Family Violence Protection Act of Victoria 2008.
- Royal Commission into Family Violence Report March 2016, Volume 5 , recommendation # 156 states “dowry to be included as an example of family violence in the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 of Victoria (within 12 months)
- Dowry is cited as a complex form of violence in a booklet released by the Federal Attorney General’s office 2016 “Path to Justice -Migrant and Refugee women experience of courts ”
- Dowry is cited as a complex form of violence in Federal Department of Social Services document 2015 , “Hearing her Voice”
- Federal Department of Social Services document 2016 “Platform for action” it is cited as a complex form of domestic violence . This document is a preparatory document for 2017 National Action Plan to reduce violence against women and girls.
Travelling and talking about this issue across the country it has become clear that dowry is national issue, not just a Victorian issue; and dowry is a problem for many ethnic communities, not just the Indian community. Most South Asian communities feel the acute burden of dowry. And many African communities and Middle-Eastern communities the grooms who have to give money and gifts feel the burden.
We are now holding a National anti-dowry forum to kick start a national discussion about the dowry related domestic violence and an educational campaign on how is it possible to continue the cultural tradition of dowry but without causing harm and unconscionable or extreme financial burden on the gift giving family.
We also appeared at Royal commission hearings and also made a substantial submission.
It was indeed a huge honour for us that the Royal commission into Family Violence accepted our petition and recommended that dowry be included in the FV Protection act as an example of economical abuse (Recommendation #156 to be implemented within 12 months).
It has come to our attention that dowry as a form of domestic violence is not just a Victorian problem. It is a national problem and a multi-ethnic problem. With strong lobbying by our organization, the word “dowry as an example of complex form of abuse” is also included in the Federal Department of Social Services information booklet “PLATFROM FOR ACTION 2017”.
So we are holding the very first National anti-dowry summit in Melbourne on how to continue the cultural tradition of dowry without causing harm.
As we have discovered that dowry is a problem for many ethnic communities – African community, Indian community, Turkish, and Others will all be participating.
Interstate participants are coming from Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth
The aims and goals of this conference are to commence national discussion on the nature of dowry, and its prevalence in ethnic communities, and to demonstrate the harm that dowry is doing to migrant women in all states of the country; There is an urgent need for dowry demands to become illegal under domestic violence laws across the whole country
What is dowry related domestic violence? A story
Episodes of severe physical violence would follow after he made frightening and coercive demands for money, aggressively demanding she ring her father for more money. He and his family have already taken Rs 10 Lakhs or $20,000 in cash in India as dowry at the time of the wedding as dowry. She refused to comply with his demands for more money and she was physically attacked and violated by him. He continued hitting, slapping and punching, he was pulling her hair, dragging her by her hair. Someone called the police who in turn called the ambulance. He was given an IVO.
QUESTION – what are the solutions?
Dowry is a gift that parents give their daughter. It should be reasonable, no more that their annual income
Honesty – If the young man is under financial pressure he should be honest with his wife and tell her that he is not earning enough money, he can’t pay his TAFE fees, he can’t afford to buy enough food. They should work out a solution together. His parents can help, she can go to work.
Entitlement- It is wrong of him to feel entitled to her parent’s money. No one owes him anything if he chooses to get married, this is to make his life happy and successful. This sense of entitlement is causing the domestic violence.
If he is poor and cannot afford to have a wife then he should not get married until he is self-sufficient.
Young men should not exaggerate their work status in Australia when they arrange marriage in hope of getting big dowry. The truth has a way of coming out and that can lead to domestic violence