BRIDE PRICE AND WOMEN IDENTITY IN CHITRAL

Abstract

Bride Price is widely practiced in Chitral. This custom includes, beautiful young girls, being trafficked in the name of marriage. A local broker (Dalal), an outsider, and unknown people are involved in trafficking. In 2002 to 2006, there were 2,870 cases of trafficking and these cases ended on murder, divorce and prostitution. Majority of fake grooms are above 50 years old and already married. They introduce themselves as high government officers or land and business owner of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkawah to the local people in Chitral and requested for marriage of a woman and got married with her. The social exchange theory interprets, bride price, as a system of marriage payment, where women are themselves exchanged as part of family traditions. In this scenario, women have limited control on the decision making and their body, either sexually service or reproductively. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews, in different parts of the Chitral district. Data were collected from eight (8) respondents. The study shows the travails of women being subjected to traditions. The profile of respondents proved that the girls married in other than Chitral have been trafficked.