Domestic Violence And Dowry: Evidence From A South Indian Village

In South India there has been an increase in the amount of dowry, a spread in its incidence and changes in the nature of dowry. What impact has this trend had on inter-spousal violence? This study examines the link between the spread of dowry and its consequences for women, it discusses the various channels through which dowry may influence domestic violence.

Based on data collected from a village in Tamil Nadu in South Asia, the study suggests that larger dowries are inversely related to inter-spouse violence experienced by women, as they:

• increase the economic resources of the marital household
• enhance the social status of the groom and his family
• serve as an asset over which the woman might enjoy relatively more control

Several factors confound the effect of dowry on domestic violence, including women’s education, which has an ambiguous effect on violence. Also a rise in women’s income and educational prospects may challenge the husband’s authority and manifest itself in increased violence.

To reduce women’s vulnerability to violence the report suggests that:

• policies ensure equal inheritance and property rights for women
• programmes help women build and retain control over assets after marriage in order to reduce their vulnerability to violence
  
  
  

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  PUBLISHER About: Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands

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