Assessing Students' Attitudes in Mashhad Towards Dowry (Mahr) and Its Legal Developments

Mahr, or dowry, is a sum of money or other property that a man is obliged to pay to his wife upon marriage. In the Iranian family law system, women, in their role as wives, enjoy certain privileges and rights, the most significant of which are dowry and alimony. Consequently, claims for dowry constitute one of the most common and numerous types of lawsuits in family law. Over the past decade, legislature and judicial authorities have made considerable efforts to change the rules and regulations of dowry. This research aims to evaluate and analyze students' attitudes toward the current and ideal status of dowry, and to use the findings to determine an optimal legislative approach in this area. The research employs a descriptive-survey method, utilizing questionnaires for data collection. The statistical population includes all students from universities in Mashhad, with 327 valid questionnaires analyzed for this purpose. The research findings indicate that, regarding life priorities, the most significant item is “ethics”, followed by “family”. In terms of the reasons and philosophy behind determining the dowry at the time of marriage, as well as its practical function within families, the primary importance is attributed to “financial support for a woman after the dissolution of marriage due to divorce or the death of her husband”. The most important strategies for changing the current status of dowry are identified as “promoting cultural awareness to change societal customs regarding dowry”, followed by “reducing the tendency to set high dowries through legal reforms aimed at increasing women's rights in family relationships”. Therefore, the current approach of legislative and judicial authorities regarding changes to the rules governing dowry (primarily by reducing the enforcement mechanisms for dowry claims) stands in stark contrast to the expected approach of the study's respondents, highlighting a disregard by these institutions for the demands and needs of society.