Bride burning

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Bride-burning is a disputed term used to describe a form of domestic violence practiced in parts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries located on or around the Indian subcontinent. In bride-burning, it is alleged that a husband or the family of the husband douses the man's wife with kerosene, gasoline, or other flammable liquid, and sets the woman alight, leading to death by immolation.

Bride-burning is often disguised as a kitchen accident or suicide. Many cases of bride burnings are not reported as such, and the exact number of victims can only be estimated. In 2005, the latest year in which statistics are available from the National Crime Records Bureau of India, confirmed and reported dowry deaths, including bride burning totaled 7026.

There are several reasons that may be cited by the husband and his family for bride-burning. These commonly include the failure of the wife’s family to provide what is seen as a large enough dowry, the wife's family falling behind on dowry payments, or the desire of the husband to rid himself of his wife without dishonoring himself. Husbands who participate in these crimes may believe that burning their wife is a good way to remove her without evidence, and may provide for an opportunity to marry again and thus receive a larger dowry. The first instances of bride burning were seen in the latter part of the 20th century, contrary to popular perception that it is culturally and historically embedded in the South Asian psyche.

1 Dowry crime & laws
2 Activism
3 See Also
4 External links

[edit] Dowry crime & laws

Main article: Dowry

The giving of a dowry upon marriage has been part of many cultures, and it has continued and even flourished in many areas with large Hindu populations. The practice of giving dowry has been prohibited by law in India as of 1961 by the Dowry Prohibition Act (amended in 1984 and 1986), and has been regulated by law in Pakistan since 1976.

Dowry death is when a bride is murdered by her groom's family for refusing to pay additional dowry. Time magazine reported that dowry deaths in India increased from around 400 a year in the early 1980s to around 5,800 a year by the middle of the 1990s. It is not known whether this represents an increase in incidence or whether it reflects increased reporting due to the rise of women's groups in India. It is also not known whether this is also a result of confusion between suicide and dowry deaths.

In an effort to prevent bride-burning and other types of dowry crimes, police in India have begun setting up offices and shelters to help the victims of bride-burning and other dowry crimes. In many cases, even if a woman survives the burning, she could face a difficult recovery. In some cases, by simply surviving the attack, the woman risks rejection by her own family and society, which may blame her as the victim, rather than hold responsible her attacker(s).

[edit] Activism

In Pakistan, women including Shahnaz Bukhari, the chief coordinator of the Progressive Women’s Association, have been campaigning for protective legislations, women’s shelters and hospitals with specialized burn wards. Although the government of Pakistan has rejected any legal prohibition against dowry and "honor" killings, there are indications that pressure from within, as well as from international human rights groups may be increasing the level of awareness within the Pakistani government.

While some human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have active campaigns to reduce and prevent violence against women in India, Pakistan and other Asian countries, it is only within the last 30 years that modern legislation and protective measures have begun to be enacted to prevent these types of crimes.