Understanding the menace of dowry harassment: A way forward towards social development

Although half of the country’s citizens are women, they face countless and varied problems in their families and workplaces, especially physical, psychological, and financial harassment. Due to their gender, political, and social structural vulnerability, they face harassment everywhere. The increase in the harassment against women in Indian society is evident in the NCRB-2022 report that 4% increase in crime rate compared to 2021. According to NCRB-2022 ‘Cruelty by husband and his relatives’ (31.4%) has been in increasing trend. Even though the existence of important laws such as Dowry Prohibition Act-1961, Domestic Violence Act-2005, and Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act-2013, the crimes against women have increased in the Democratic country of India. This Doctrinal study focused on identifying the reason behind the increase in dowry harassment against women, nature and impact of dowry harassment through the theoretical review of reliable secondary data sources. From the study results, it is evident that dowry harassment not only severely affects the physical and mental health of women, but also affects the overall development of women. So, it is significant to come out with workable policies to help the victims of dowry harassment.