New study finds India dowry deaths rise while protests fall
India
A new study highlights a troubling trend: even though dowry-related deaths in India have hit 6,516 cases in 2022 (up from 1,841 in 1988), public outrage and protests have dropped off sharply.
The violence hasn't gone away. People just aren't talking about it or demanding change like they used to.
Illegal dowry persists as extractive demand
Despite being illegal since 1961, the dowry system is still common, now showing up as "extractive demand" linked to caste, class, and job status.
As these demands become more normalized within families and society, the shock factor (and public reaction) to dowry deaths has faded too.