We all have heard this sentence since our childhood that Marriage plays a vital role in human life. As it is a turning point in life. A point or a roundabout where your life is moving from the main road to the highway. The highway is the busiest road where everybody is rushing towards destiny. They have the idea that they may run out of fuel, they may feel hungry, and there is no nearest or immediate stay. So, they keep all the important stuff with them. Secondly, they have a clear picture of the fact that one single mistake can take them to the end of their life. So, they take their decision wisely and choose a perfect driver. The same is the case in a human’s life when he considers all these factors and precautionary measures, but still there comes a major factor which is called “luck.”
Marriage in our societies is associated with various compromises, the primary compromise is linked with the girl only as she must have to leave her parents' home. Secondly, there comes a few mutual compromises where a female is a homemaker and males are responsible to arrange bread and butter for the family. Life after marriage is a complete challenge and how you perceive its norms before marriage is also important that it can affect life.
There is another major taboo that is linked with marriage in Pakistan, which is a dowry system. Among the other societal tribulations that triumph and infect Pakistani society, the dowry system plays the most significant role. It is sprawling its tentacles far and ample in society and distressing every segment of society, and it is aggressively prevalent in Pakistani culture. A dowry is no longer a set of gift items intended for contributing towards a suitable beginning to the practical life of a newly married couple. Copious and loud marriages, designer's items studded the bride, bridegroom, and other family members, many course meals, etc. all put up with the dowry system. In a country where an immense majority of the populace lives beneath the poverty line and is devoid of basic human requirements like water, sanitation, electricity, health, and education the increasing leaning of such exhibiting marriages is adding miseries and electricity, health, and education the increasing leaning of such exhibiting marriages is adding miseries in society.
In a few backward areas of Pakistan, people from the groom's side provide a list of items to the parents of the bride, in which they particularly mention that they need luxury items including a car or a motorbike, and when the parents of the bride are not able to provide for all of them, they usually break this relationship. Even in a few elite classes, girls are usually taunted if they skip any luxury item. Being an analyst, I do not want to write about those stereotypes only which are already discussed and addressed on many platforms, but a recent incident in my own life has compelled me to choose this topic and I raised my pen to write my thoughts on this piece of paper. Let me tell you what it feels when someone identifies your weakness or any financial deficiency. What is it when someone degrades you on your physical appearance? What do we girls feel when someone talks behind you about your parents even, and you are helpless because you decided to choose this man and the man is not stable enough to protect you financially or morally?
In this era of feminism, do we think that these feminist NGOs or feminist waves are helping women to stand up against these stereotypes? I guess we girls have the chain of our parent's dignity at our feet, and we will never stand up for ourselves.
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