Historical records show evidence of a continuing trend of women around the world becoming victims of misogynistic societies. The oppression continually faced by women has led to a struggle for equal rights in every sphere of society. However, there have been limited successes and more failures than anyone cares to remember, and women continue to be oppressed in almost every aspect of life, from the political to the personal and from the public to the private. It is essential to address and understand that the foundation of women's inequality today is patriarchal cultures, which most of the time are founded on patriarchal religions. Women are not considered fully equal human beings deserving of the same dignity, rights and treatment as men. Women, however, are valued for providing sex to men – whether as wives or prostitutes – and then for their ability to devote all their time to taking care of the home, maintaining the family, and raising children (Cline, 2007 ). Most cases of inequality of this magnitude are present in third world and developing countries like India, where women are victims from birth as they are marginalized as second-class citizens in the patriarchal community. The patriarchal culture of India is an excellent example of a culture where a woman has always been the exclusive property of her father, brother or husband without any will of her own. Most of the time, women in India are victims of these relatives. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, every hour that passes India inflicts more brutality on women, with two rapes, two kidnappings, four molestations and seven incidents of cruelty by husbands and relatives (The Times of India, 2008). Such shocking statistics have their roots in a combination... middle of paper... involvement in dowry transaction disputes can result in the woman's family members being subjected to criminal proceedings and potentially jailed. Furthermore, police action is unlikely to stop demands for dowry payments (Hitchcock, 2001). Married life is something that young women all over the world look forward to, but for most women in India it translates into a nightmare through which they have to struggle to survive. Most women are raised with very orthodox morals, so they are very unlikely to ever challenge the male figures in their lives, even if it means it costs them their lives. Newlywed brides who bring with them an adequate dowry or are lucky enough to find good in-laws do not go through the horrors that some face, but they may have to deal with other pressures that are placed on them by their in-laws..