Adultery, dowries and widows

Adultery is no longer a crime in India after the Supreme Court struck down colonial legislation that considered women to be the property of their husbands. Adultery is no longer a crime thanks to this judicial initiative in a society that is still profoundly patriarchal. Despite being banned by law, the bride’s dowry is still an almost obligatory convention in many places. It is an expense that mires families in the swamp of honour. Not paying dowries leads to thousands of murders (many are burnt alive) and suicides every year. Added to this is the condemnation of being a widow. When an Indian woman’s husband dies, her head is shaved. Everything she has is taken from her, her family shuns her and she is considered to bring bad luck. Gender equality?