<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\'; mso-fareast-font-family: \'Times New Roman\';\">Marriage is a voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others but in relation to this great institution, the problem of the \"dowry\" persists. Dowry is both a practice and a problem with Indian marriages; it is a deep rooted social evil. &nbsp;The world has entered the new millennium but it is a harsh reality that the woman in India has long been ill-treated in our society. She is deprived of her independent identity and is looked upon as a commodity. Recent studies suggest a link between domestic violence and dowry demands. </span><span class=\"highlight\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Forty</span></span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> cases of dowry related domestic violence were studied here from western UP, India.Majority of <span class=\"highlight\">women in the present study </span>experiencing dowry related <span class=\"highlight\">domestic violence got married in their early age </span>52.5%, from rural background (55%), have a lower household income (55% cases) and not working (92.5%). Majority of cases reported in the early years of marriage (55%), and they were from lower educational background. The result of this study indicates that Economic empowerment, together with higher education and modified cultural norms may protect the <span class=\"highlight\">women from such type of social evil.</span></span></p>
<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\'; mso-fareast-font-family: \'Times New Roman\';\">&nbsp;</span></p>
 
<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Key words:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Domestic violence, Marriage, Dowry.</span></p>