MY maid put everything she had at stake just to gather enough dowry for her daughter’s marriage. She wished to make her daughter’s in-laws contented and satisfied, but even after marriage her daughter was being bad-mouthed by the greedy in-laws. The atrocity led to the young girl commiting suicide.

I have shared only one case. However, there are a number of cases in our society which highlight the prevailing social disease called dowry.

Sadly, if women are unable to produce a massive dowry, they are plainly rejected no matter how beautiful and educated they are. One should understand that it’s not only about rejection, it’s the consequences of these refusals that lead to mental illness, trauma, self-loathing, impulsive enough to be a suicidal case.

On our part, we should raise our voice against dowry through social networking sites and the print and electronic media.

Zee Nazar

Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2014