DLSA Secretary calls for wider student awareness on Dowry Prohibition Act

Calling dowry a ‘punishable crime and not just a social evil’, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Secretary and senior Civil judge M.S. Bharathi on Thursday urged wider student awareness on the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.

Addressing a gathering of students, NGOs, and officials at a Mission Shakti seminar organised by the Women and Child Welfare Department at S.V. Arts and Science Degree College here, Ms. Bharathi said that giving, taking or demanding dowry, both directly or indirectly, was illegal.

Explaining the provisions, penalties and safeguards enshrined under the Act, the DLSA secretary said that harassment over dowry and treating marriages as financial deals harms society and calls for legal action with social consciousness.

Highlighting gender equality, constitutional rights and legal protections, Ms. Bharathi said respecting women was everyone’s duty. “Education and self-reliance help women take independent decisions,” she said, urging girl students to pursue higher education and gain financial independence.

Women facing harassment should not remain silent but seek help from the DLSA, Women and Child Welfare Department and Sakhi One Stop Centre, she said.