Part 5/12:
Modern Perspectives and Misconceptions
Addressing the decline of the dowry in contemporary society, the speaker attributes its disappearance to societal advancements, increased mobility, and changing attitudes towards gender and marriage. She criticizes the modern tendency to view past practices through a lens of oppression, asserting instead that they were designed to protect and support women.
Her critique extends to the current framing of marriage, where women are often perceived as lacking agency, and the idea of buying a wife through dowry is viewed as misogynistic. She challenges this notion, arguing that the dowry was a mutually beneficial arrangement that aimed to secure stability and support for women, rather than oppress them.