is is a form of gender stratification, where one gender is looked upon as being more valuable than the other. In the case of dowries, women are looked upon as being burdens to their families. The birth of a girl is still mourned in most Indian families, with the father envisioning a lifetime of hard work and debt to raise money for the dowry. To avoid such a fate, some poor Indians resort to female infanticide (Women's International Network News 1996). If a family gives birth to a baby girl they know immediately that they will have to pay in the future. However, if they give birth to a boy, they know that they will be receiving wealth rather than giving it away. Therefore, in India, it is much better for a family to give birth to boys because they are considered assets upo
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