Gender Relations and the Dowry System in India - The Case of Hyderabad

Manuela Mota and Sara Casaca

No 143, CEsA Working Papers from CEsA - Centre for African and Development Studies

Abstract: This article seeks to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the gender relations and the dowry system in India. It is based on a qualitative study that gave priority to the undertaking of interviews with women from different educational backgrounds living in the city of Hyderabad (South of India). The predominant perception of the interviewees is that education promotes economic and symbolic independence. The higher the educational level, the more critical accounts are found in relation to: the dowry system as a mechanism of reproduction of the low status of women and of the persistent asymmetries in gender relations; the wish to educate sons and daughters under equal conditions; and the value given to marriages based on love to the detriment of arranged ones. The main argument is that education is a fundamental source of women’s empowerment and opens up prospects for challenging the patriarchal regime, changing the status of women and leading to a more gender equal society. However,if this is to happen, then the education system (programs and curricula) needs to be congruent with gender equality, targeting both women and men in the project of challenging the dominant patriarchal structure.

Date: 2016-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hme
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://cesa.rc.iseg.ulisboa.pt/RePEc/cav/cavwpp/wp143.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cav:cavwpp:wp143

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in CEsA Working Papers from CEsA - Centre for African and Development Studies CEsA - Centre for African and Development Studies, University of Lisbon, Rua Miguel Lupi 20, 1249-078 Lisboa, Portugal.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sónia da Silva Pina ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).