Essay On Bride Burning

760 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hindu marriage easy

Miriam Al Khatib Bride Burning It’s been said that being burned alive is the most painful thing a person can go through, every 90 minutes a woman in India encounters this pain. Bride burning is when a wife is set on fire due to an unsatisfactory dowry. The attacker, usually the in-laws or the husband himself, does this in order to get re-married and demand a dowry from his new wife.This is a growing issue in India and other South Asian countries (such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka). This isn’t something that everyone knows about, but it’s very important since the increasing numbers of bride burning is affecting India because it promotes injustice towards women. For the past few decades bride burning has been a major problem in India, it is also effecting the social life of the country. In 1961 the Dowry Prohibition Act officially stated that demanding a dowry was illegal. Punishments can vary from lifetime imprisonment to death. In the early 1990’s the reports of burning wives had increased dramatically. It started in the mid 1980’s, where there were around 400 reports on bride burning yearly. By the mid 1990’s the reports increased up to 5,800 reports yearly. The reasoning behind demanding a dowry, and killing off your wife if she doesn’t come through to give you one, is simple: people want money, they see all of these favourable possessions others have and they want them for themselves. Now clearly the act of setting someone on fire is an obvious form of attempted murder. Usually when someone says something is wrong one of the reasons would be that it’s unnatural, which is the same in this case. Pouring gasoline over someone and setting them on fire is much different than a lion hunting a deer for food. Secondly, it’... ... middle of paper ... ...ws broken. Lastly, it continues to show to other Indians that the worth of men are more important than women. This is an important issue because men and women in India are very unequal, this is already known to most people out there. Bride burning does not, at all, help this issue, also since it’s getting worse each year. As well as that, it promotes injustice towards women. Since it is getting worse, more people must be coming to this conclusion when their wife’s family refuse to give a dowry, which means the idea is spreading. A way to fix this would be to report all cases of bride burning. An article from the Telegraph website proves that approximately 17 women get burned daily, but not all cases are reported. More people would get punished if more cases were reported, which would lead to other people realizing what they could get into, and not doing it at all.

Show More
Related

  • Upon The Burning Of Our House Essay

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    Determining whether the God you praise and worship is choleric because of your presence by the sins you’ve created is at never ending battle in the 17th-18th centuries. Upon the Burning of Our House is a poem, with nine stanzas, written by Anne Bradstreet explaining her understanding and ability to live and learn from sin to God. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is a work, written as a sermon by Jonathan Edwards, who preaches to all the non-Puritan sinners. His belief is that if they don’t convert and take blame for their sins, God’s anger toward them will be unbearable and force them to the pits of hell. Analyzing Bradstreet’s and Edwards’ works, a reader can distinguish the personality of the two writers and the different views of God

    Read More

  • Analyzing Themes Of The Story 'The Wedding Gift'

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    The themes in the story “The Wedding Gift” are freedom, the right to choose, women power and much more. All of these themes fall into one category, which is one of the major theme in this text, “self realization”. When Kezia is told to marry an old, rich man, by the Barley’s for their own business benefit. Kezia expresses her feelings by telling Mr. Mears “My body doesn’t belong to anyone, expect for me”. This story showcases, how women were portrayed back then and even right now in some countries such as China, Afghanistan, India etc. I recently read an article, where a young girl named Priya Khan, committed a suicide in India due to a forced marriage to an old man enough to be her grandfather. Since, her family was not able to provide for her. Towards, the

    Read More

  • Social Impact Of Gendercide

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    The wife 's desires for a girl also can be unselfish in their eyes by saying they are protecting them from a life of poverty since they had not yet had a son who could provide their prosperity. “Dowry deaths” are also an age old tradition that is a custom for the religion. But with the heavy problem of gendercide, the government outlawed the use of a dowry. But since tradition is so heavy and rich it still happens. The families want to live up to expectations and even if it is not “required” it still looks good for a family to compensate the other in a social standing. The problem with this is that they still see females as burdens even though there is no requirement to provide a dowry. It is the age-old tradition to give a dowry that is hurting the females. The old ways need to be adapted, and the culture itself needs to understand that it is okay not to provide a dowry. This is the only way change for females can come and ensure them a success and longevity in their

    Read More

  • Decoding Narayan's Third World Feminist Perspectives

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    Narayan’s article raises many questions about third world issues are perceived by western bodies. In her article, Dislocating Cultures: Identities, Traditions, and Third World Feminism, she looks at the “‘effects’ that national contexts have on the construction of feminist issues and the ways in which understandings of issues are then affected by border crossings across national boundaries” and how culture is invoked in explaining the forms of violence that stem from these issues (p.213). She explains this phenomenon by focusing on dowry murder in India. Dowry murder has caused a large outcry and shock, even on the path of the author. But there is a certain shock that stems from western individuals, which tends to ‘exoticize’ and reinforce the notion of the other regarding Indian culture. She refers to Elisabeth Bumiller’s novel, May You be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey among the Women of India, and she narrows her focus down to chapter three “Flames: A Bride Burning and a Sati.” The author provides a context for understanding her story, in which she mentions a brief account of the mythological Goddess Sita, who threw

    Read More

  • Family Violence: An International Perspective

    2093 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...the hardest goals to accomplish, as cultural beliefs and values are often set in stone and cannot be changed instantaneously. Changing rigid gender stereotypes could take many years, so it is imperative that solutions be implemented over the long-term. Women should continue to be educated, and people should work towards a greater share in household responsibilities among families (24). A more holistic approach is needed, and social support for rural women should also be enhanced (24). Furthermore, it is essential that responses to the matter are culturally sensitive; for instance, divorce is often not a viable option for many women in India who fear being stigmatized by their communities. Overall, researchers should continue to conduct further studies in order to understand the roots of family violence in India, and work towards eradicating the issue altogether.

    Read More

  • Domestic Violence and Patriarchal Societies

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1989, a recently married woman in Delhi, India was beaten and doused in whiskey and then set aflame. Her murder was cited as one of the 110 "dowry deaths" or "bride burning" in Delhi that year. These deaths are attributed to the custom of the bride’s family giving gifts to the groom to secure a good home for their daughter. When the dowry is not adequate, he may kill his wife in order to remarry and claim another dowry. In Africa, the prospective husband pays "Bride wealth" to secure a woman’s hand in marriage the exchange is so commercialized that the inflated costs of bridewealth

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis of Barn Burning

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    At first glance, the story “Barn burning” seems just to be about a tyrannical father and a son who is in the grips of that tyranny. I think Faulkner explores at least one important philosophical question in this story were he asks at what point should a person make a choice between what his parent(s) and / or family believes and his own values?

    Read More

  • Arranging A Marriage In India By Serena Nanda

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Arranging a Marriage in India” by Serena Nanda is a well written, informative article aimed at sharing the view of the Indian culture on arranged marriages and also showing how much effort is put into the process of arranging a marriage. Our own culture has evolved into accepting the fact that we are all independent individuals who could not imagine having someone else make such a significant decision for us. Serena Nanda does an excellent job of using her sources within the society as evidence of the acceptance of the arranged marriage aspect of their culture.

    Read More

  • Sati: the "Good Women" in Hinduism

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sati is defined as “a Hindu practice whereby a widow immolates herself on the pyre of her husband” (Dictonary.com). Sati also means righteous, women throughout the Hindu myths were willing to do anything for the man that they loved. This symbolized the perfect Indian wife to any man. Imagine being a married couple in the Hindu religion, as the wife you have to prove yourself to your husband. According to About.com it goes into brief detail of the idea of marriage in the Hindu religion; “after marriage the Hindu women lead the men by keeping the lustful propensities under control. While married, thought of any other man does not enter the mind of a Hindu lady until she loses her faith in her husband due to his consistent misbehavior and 'don't care' attitude” (Rajhans). Basically in this commitment women must keep the male under control and keep the loving relationship alive and well. Suddenly, during your marriage your husband suddenly dies and you are now left as a widow. How would you feel? Would you mope around and have sorrow for the months to come? Or would you go to the extent of suicide to be with your husband once again. Some say sati is a voluntary act chosen by the newly widowed woman to end her life by being burnt to death at her husband’s pyre. But there are moments in history that Sati was forced upon these women, some ever were dragged to their burning death (Daniel). “The custom of burning the widow on her dead husband's pyre probably did not evolve from religious background but from social background” (Daniels). This paper will explore the horrible act of Sati and how it was practiced throughout history.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Polygamy

    1173 Words  | 3 Pages

    Originally, after choosing my topic, I had planned on focusing on the traditions of Muslim marriage-- however, the more I researched the more corruption was unveiled within the sacrament. I don’t know about you all, but I find controversial things far more interesting. I would like to preface my speech by saying although many of the practices I am going to speak about are widely accepted throughout the Middle East—however, this does not make them justifiable. Like all controversial topics, there are two sides to this argument. Arranged marriages, child marriage, and polygamy are practices passed off as “traditions,” but it is my goal to shed some light on the topic. It is not uncommon for couples to marry based off caste and wealth rather than

    Read More

  • Bride Price: Modern Day Female Enslavement?

    1472 Words  | 3 Pages

    Orhin, Isabella Gyau. "High Bride Price Aiding Marital Violence." 14 December 2002. Ghana Web. 12 May 2011 .

    Read More

  • The Issue of Forced Marriage

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    Girls all over the world are forced into marriages due to financial necessity, tradition and to ensure their future. Most of these girls married are at a young age: “One third of the world’s girls are married before the age of 18 and 1 in 9 are married before the age of 15”( “Child Marriage Facts and Figures”). The young ages of those being married reveal how crucial it is to resolve this problem. When child marriage occurs the parents of the bride usually chose the groom for their daughters; and these grooms can be three times older than the young brides. Some children are brought into the world of marriage at the of 8 or sometimes less depending on their cultural views. The following can be used to help reduce the impact of early marriage: reinforcing laws that are passed against child marriages, and providing information on contraceptives to victims of early marriage. The most efficient way of resolving the problem of child marriage is through educating the people who practice it about its adverse effects.

    Read More

  • Arson Essay

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arson is one of the oldest crimes recognized throughout the world. It is defined as the intentional and malicious burning of a structure or building (Montaldo). Arson can cost the lives of individuals and the damages can be costly. In 2010, there were about 260,600 fires (“Arson and Intentional Fires,” n.d.). Many of these fires were intentionally set. These fires have resulted in an estimated 390 deaths, 1,340 injuries, and $1.2 billion in damages (“Arson and Intentional Fires,” n.d.). Most of the fires have occurred outside, but most of the deaths, injuries, and losses occurred in structures, particularly in homes (“Arson and Intentional Fires,” n.d.). Arson is considered to be a property crime to law enforcement agencies, despite that the fires created by the arsonist can injure and kill many people. This paper will discuss the history of arson as well as explaining why arson is difficult to prove, why people commit it, and also provides specific case examples and suggestions on what people can do to reduce the risk of arson.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Child Marriage

    588 Words  | 2 Pages

    The four main causes of child marriage are poverty, limited education and economic opportunities relating to jobs for women, insecurity in the face of conflict, and traditional and religious practices. The little girls are sources of income for their families when the bride price is of...

    Read More

  • Child Marriage Essay

    1354 Words  | 3 Pages

    Child marriage is a popular practice in India and Middle Eastern countries. It is defined as “a formal union before the age of eighteen” (unicef). In some cases the husband can be more than twice the age of the young girl. The median age of women at the time of their marriage is starting to increase, although this primarily includes women in higher income families. Seen as taboo in western countries, the practice is common in rural towns in places like India and Yemen. As a result of the marriage many young girls get pregnant, which is a serious health risk due to their underdeveloped bodies. The practice of child marriage takes away a young woman’s right to an education and also poses serious health risks.

    Read More

More about Essay On Bride Burning

Open Document