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Dowry is an evil that has gripped society, Kerala Women’s Commission member V.R. Mahilamani has said.
She was speaking at a seminar on ‘Domestic violence and solutions’ as part of a coastal camp organised by the commission at Marianad in Kadhinamkulam on Thursday.
Ms. Mahilamani said a number of women were ending their lives owing to the dowry menace. Marriages were also breaking up because of it. Our attitudes needed to change for a solution to the problem. This should begin within households.
Democratic consciousness should begin inside homes. Parents should pay attention to fostering equality within the family by treating boys and girls the same. They should give importance to education of girls and equip them to stand on their feet, she said.
When dowry problems arise, parents do not tell anyone initially, and send their daughter to the husband’s house telling her to adjust. Instead of being a support for their daughters, parents often leave their daughters in the lurch in such situations, she pointed out.
Ms. Mahilamani urged parents to make their children strong enough to open up about any sexual violence against them. Children should be taught to distinguish between good and bad touches.
Kadhinamkulam panchayat president Ajitha Ani presided over the seminar. Panchayat ward member Jose Nicholas and Our Lady of Assumption Church assistant vicar Baburaj, Anchuthengu coastal police sub-inspector Radhakrishna Pillai were present.
