FROM PROVIDING TO BURNING

Dowry, the act where a woman gives money, goods or state to her husband in marriage; was seen as a way of providing goods or money for the stablishment of a new household or family, with the purpose of helping the husband to maintain and feed the family. Thus, the husband had certain property rights in his wife's dowry. Simply put, the purpose of the Dowry was to provide an incentive to the husband for not harming his wife.

However, greedy husbands (and their families) mostly in India started to kill and harm their wifes demanding more goods or money, and a very clever (...) way of killing their wifes (Bride Burning) acquired certain notoriety in the country, which caused the total prohibition of the Dowry payment by the Indian Law.

Bride Burning is a common form of domestic violence that occurs when the wife's family refuses to pay additional Dowry to the husband and his family. Then, the husband and his family (most of the times) murder the wife with kerosene or gasoline (because it's cheap) by dousing the woman and setting alight causing the death by fire.

This issue has gotten a public health problem in India; it is said that every year Indian Police recieve more than 2.500 reports of bride burning.

No matter if it is cultural or not, the total misunderstanding of the concept cannot be an excuse for demanding things, and in the most extreme case, for killing a woman.