al ▁society ▁such ▁as ▁India , ▁a ▁woman ’ s ▁role ▁is ▁defined ▁from ▁before ▁she ▁is ▁born , ▁which ▁ultimately ▁places ▁her ▁as ▁less er ▁than ▁men . ▁Because ▁she ▁is ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁bur den ▁and ▁an ▁" extra ▁mouth ▁to ▁feed ", ▁her ▁status ▁as ▁an ▁economic ▁li ability ▁prom otes ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁men , ▁who ▁are ▁considered ▁physical ▁assets , ▁can ▁treat ▁women ▁as ▁sub serv ient . ▁Once ▁a ▁woman ▁mar ries , ▁she ▁is ▁bound ▁to ▁her ▁husband ▁and ▁his ▁will ▁because ▁" soci ety ▁mand ates ▁ob ed ience ▁to ▁her ▁husband ". ▁ ▁Another ▁theory ▁claims ▁that ▁consumer ism , ▁a ▁primarily ▁Western ▁ideal ▁that ▁is ▁newly ▁founded ▁in ▁developing ▁nations , ▁has ▁caused ▁countries ▁like ▁India ▁to ▁become ▁gre edy . ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁dow ry ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁to ▁gain ▁a ▁higher ▁so cio e conom ic ▁status . ▁As ▁status ▁is ▁contin ually ▁gained , ▁the ▁demand ▁for ▁br idal ▁dow ry ▁increases ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁keep ▁moving ▁up ▁the ▁social ▁lad der . ▁ ▁L akh ani ▁also ▁suggests ▁that , ▁histor ically ▁speaking , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁dow ry ▁system ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁conce ived ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁distinguish ▁Muslim ▁from ▁H indu ▁culture , ▁creating ▁a ▁further ▁divide ▁within ▁cast es . ▁A ▁higher ▁dow ry ▁would ▁indicate ▁a ▁higher ▁status ▁and ▁distinction ▁from ▁Islam , ▁thus ▁providing ▁an ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁demand ▁a ▁larger ▁dow ry . ▁ ▁Finally