Pakistan’s National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior recently rejected a bill aiming to ban dowry, citing it as “impractical.” Despite around 2,000 brides being killed annually in Pakistan due to dowry disputes, the rejection highlights the state’s reluctance to address systemic gendered coercion masked as tradition.
Dowry in Pakistan is often justified as “gifts” or cultural practices, where the bride’s family provides cash, jewelry, and other valuables to the groom’s family. However, this custom leads to coercion, humiliation, and violence. Families unable to meet dowry demands face social exclusion, and daughters are viewed as burdens, contributing to approximately 13.5 million unmarried women in Pakistan.
The Dowry Restraint Bill, proposed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sharmila Faruqui, aimed to criminalize dowry practices. The bill suggested penalties of up to five years in prison and fines for those involved in giving, taking, or promoting dowry. Additionally, it sought to recognize bridal gifts as the bride’s personal property and mandated their transfer to her within three months if received by others.
Despite the bill’s intentions, the committee unanimously dismissed it, arguing that existing laws on wedding expenses and dowry regulation should be enforced more rigorously. Critics, including committee members like Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan, raised concerns about the bill potentially straining family relationships by placing the burden of complaint on brides and their families.
The rejection of the bill underscores a larger issue in Pakistan’s legislative process, where laws addressing structural inequality face high scrutiny while those maintaining the status quo pass with little opposition. This move, criticized by Dr. Rakhshinda Perveen, reflects a reluctance to legislate against gendered coercion. The normalization of dowry perpetuates violence, worsens poverty, and the state’s unwillingness to confront this system directly signals a preference for regulation over abolition.
