Implications for women of changing marriage transactions in Bangladesh

Recent changes in marriage transactions in Bangladesh have led increasingly to a shift in the burden of marriage expenses from the groom's family of the bride. This reversal in the direction of wealth exchanges, which may not be in the best interest of the bride, reflects social and economic changes that have increased the income potential of the groom, which now surpasses previously valued attributes of the bride. In this paper, anthropologist Shirley Lindenbaum examines the effects of these changes on women and their implications for female fertility and mortality. An earlier version of this paper was presented to the New York Academy of Science on 25 February 1980.