ry death he does not face a very stiff punishment. Less than one percent of the cases end up in conviction. (“India dowry” p67) There was a case in which the husband was found guilty of killing his wife and was sentenced to give back the dowry and wedding costs, then he was set free to go on his own. If the same case has been brought up here in America the man would have face a charge of life in prison. The society offers very little push to resolve this pressing issue. The Indian Penal code amendments and the Evidence act require an investigation on all deaths of brides that were married for less than seven years. (Waters, p525) It is horrifying to imagine what these women go through in the course of their lives, being brought up to believe that you are inferior and then to be stripped of your free will with torture of the mind and body. The women are treated like machines that just do what the husbands prefer with out any regard. These women have only shelters to help them if they try to leave, but often find themselves with no money, education, or place to run to. The act of dowry giving has to end before the treatment of women will get any better, because as long as a woman is not seen for her value as a worker and member of society then she will continue to be discarded. Women are not permitted to inherit any property until there are no close males alive within 12 generations. (Chaturvedi) Indian government needs make greater laws and try to enforce them strictly, but it is the men who make the laws in India and the religion that backs up this practice. The men are not to anxious to see this practice go and the religious do not see a need for change, so women’s groups must fight to help get a better quality of life for India’s women. Years of silence must be ended in India with women choosing what they wear, say, and most importantly whom they marry with out the risk of being beaten or condemned....
