International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

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Volume 8 Issue 4
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Bridging the Statutory Gap: Assessing Perceptions and Awareness of Anti-Dowry Legislation Among Tribal and Non-Tribal Youth

Author(s) DR KAVITA KAVITA
Country India
Abstract Abstract
The practice of dowry remains a persistent social malignancy across diverse cultural landscapes in India despite extensive legislative frameworks. This study investigates the general awareness and perception of dowry prohibition among school-going adolescents (N = 400) across classes IX, X, and XI in Himachal Pradesh, providing a comparative analysis between the tribal district of Kinnaur (n = 200) and the non-tribal district of Shimla (n = 200). Employing a descriptive survey research design, data were collected using a self-constructed legal awareness questionnaire validated by legal and educational experts.
The empirical findings reveal significant disparities in legal literacy between the two cohorts. Non-tribal adolescents demonstrated a superior understanding regarding the fundamental illegality of dowry agreements (85.5%) and severe legal consequences associated with dowry deaths (70.5%). Conversely, a critical deficit was identified among tribal adolescents; a striking 58% erroneously believed that formal dowry agreements hold legal validity, and only 47.5% were aware of penalties concerning dowry fatalities. Interestingly, tribal youth displayed marginally higher baseline awareness regarding the punitive fine structures for abetting dowry (52%) compared to their non-tribal peers (46%). Overall, both groups displayed an insufficient grasp of the granular provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
The study highlights a localized normalization of dowry masked as traditional gift exchanges, particularly within transforming tribal structures. The findings underscore an urgent need for targeted pedagogical interventions, school-level legal literacy camps, and tailored community sensitization programs to bridge the gap between statutory law and adolescent awareness.
Keywords Dowry Prohibition, Legal Awareness, Tribal Adolescents, Non-Tribal Adolescents, Himachal Pradesh, Kinnaur, Shimla.
Published In Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On 2026-07-02
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E-ISSN 2582-2160
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CrossRef DOI prefix of IJFMR is 10.36948/ijfmr

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