We often hear that education is the solution to all the social problems in any society, but the statistics and grim social realities speak otherwise. Ideally, education should bring crime level down, modernise people, change their attitudes and behaviour, and address their social biases and gender perspectives. The society should become more open, equal, and dignified. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. In fact, it sometimes presents quite a contrasting picture where two opposite trends show an upward progression, simultaneously.
Let us explore this in the context of gender and some of the prevalent social practices. Recently, we have received encouraging news that female candidates have secured the top four ranks in the prestigious civil services exam, 2022. This is the second consecutive year that women candidates grabbed the top three positions. Their overall representation in civil services has also reached its all-time high level of 34 percent in the year 2022. There seems to be an emerging trend wherein female candidates are outshining their male counterparts in almost every exam from school boards, and entrance exams to civil services. India’s position in the Gender Parity Index (GPI) has also increased from 1 in 2017-18 to 1.05 in 2020-21. Women’s representation in higher education is also growing.
According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report 2020-21, overall women enrolment increased to 20.1 million in 2020-2021 from 18.8 million in 2019-20. This increase in enrolment data is noteworthy among female students of SC and ST categories, which is comparatively higher than their community’s overall enrollment ratio between the years 2014-15 to 2020-21.
But, that is not the complete picture as we have some contrasting data on crime against women, female foeticide, domestic violence and crimes related to dowry. According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report over 4.28 lakh cases of crime against women were reported across the country during 2021 which reflects a worrisome increase of 15.3% over 2020 (3.71 lakhs). Similarly, in 2021, as many as 13,534 cases were registered in the country under the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, which was 25% higher compared to the cases registered in 2020 (10,046). Although, there has been a consistent decline in dowry deaths as the average annual dowry deaths fell from 8,005 to 7,093 between 2012-16 and 2017-21. But, the loss of the life of every daughter due to dowry should bother us and shock our conscience. It is noteworthy that Uttar Pradesh and Bihar ranked highest in terms of dowry deaths in India in 2021 as both states together accounted for nearly half 48 % of the total dowry deaths in the country.
Here, we should keep in mind that it is the official statistics. Any social practice that has the sanction of society irrespective of its illegality largely remains grossly underreported. The same thing also applies to all kinds of crimes related to women. But the larger question is why there is no connection between these two statistics. On one hand, women are progressing in every field, excelling in education, and breaking the taboos and glass sealing practices. But, on the other hand, societal perceptions, biases, practices, and behaviour have yet to change.
There are many social issues relating to women, and one of them is the practice of dowry. Unfortunately, it has become a widely accepted social norm that is not restricted to any community, class group, and region sans educational criteria. From that perspective, it is one of the ‘great equalizers’ where no one is immune to a discriminating social practice. Now, that is a different thing up to what extent somebody is getting affected by it or whether it is a matter of choice or societal pressure. I sometimes call it the ‘socialisation of dowry’, where its acceptance as a mandatory ceremonial practice is growing and scaling new heights in terms of innovative ways of exchange, expenditure and ‘celebration’.
While discussing the subject with one of my colleagues, I came to know that now marriage means business. We can relate it to wedding planners, destination weddings, pre and post-wedding shoots, theme-based weddings, royal weddings that go up to make-up artists, cosmetics and lifestyle industry, designer clothing and jewellery, dieticians and what not. Of course, market forces guide and facilitate this process, but somewhere it also puts a question mark on our morality, discretion, and rationality. It can be once in a lifetime celebration or a symbol of social status for those who can afford it but a liability and curse for those who lack sufficient economic resources and unwillingly carry the burden of expectations, a norm that has been set and a framework under which they have to qualify according to their social position. Interestingly, education is of little help in this case as it has more social acceptability in the ‘so-called’ educated class. Interestingly, it is not even a matter of concern among the academic community.
The dowry is prohibited by law, still domestic violence and harassment for dowry is everyday news and dowry deaths are a crude social reality. The root cause of the problem is its wider silent social acceptability. It is one of the contributing factors in sex selection and gender discrimination. The government’s latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) report, which was conducted from 2019 to 2021, revealed that the preference for sons continues to prevail in the country despite an improvement in the sex ratio. The report further highlighted that the preference for sons is also linked to population growth as a large number of women are more likely to use contraceptives if they already have a son. “A son will carry forward our family lineage. He will look after us during our old age” said one of the respondents.
In some cases, it has even been justified on the grounds of being part of a girl’s share in the family property to keep it undivided. Well, whatever the reason it is a discriminating social practice. Primarily, there are three objectives for writing this article: Firstly, to further promote female education especially higher education. Secondly, to connect or make education a means for social reform and social change and, thirdly to challenge this social norm of dowry and build a public movement against it that should ideally be led by the educated people and academic institutions. It is pertinent to note here that laws generally have limited applicability in cases where there is wider social acceptability of something.
Interestingly, the ‘orthodox’ and ‘patriarchal’ social organisations in rural areas such as the Khaps in North India have taken numerous community-based initiatives against social evils such as dowry, lavish marriages, female foeticide and initiated practices of celebrating the birth of girl child collectively at the village level, promoting girls education, etc. Many unique initiatives to celebrate the birth of a girl child and to promote gender equality were taken by the village panchayats in rural areas of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana, etc. Even the Prime Minister of India lauded the ‘Thali Bajao’ and ‘Selfie with Daughter’ initiatives in his Mann Ki Baat radio address. But, the modern urban educated class has yet to take strong collective measures to address it as they are more influential in setting or challenging the social norms.
The author teaches Political Science at the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi.