Is a woman murdered every 20 minutes for dowry?

Question

I stumbled upon this image in Google images:

1 woman is murdered for dowry every 20 minutes.

The image links to www.50millionmissing.info, which has, indeed, created that poster. The site is dedicated to Indian women.

Wikipedia explains the concept of Dowry Deaths, including suicide and murder of young brides.

Is the claim true?

I've incorporated many comments into the question, so it is no longer about whether the OP understood it, but whether the claim is true. I removed the obsolete comments, and also answer attempts. — Oddthinking, Jun 20 '15 at 03:22

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 20 '15 at 06:08

A study from thelancet.com reported:

In India about 20 000 murders are committed every year, of which women constitute about 10%–15% of the total, ie, about 2000 to 2500 per year. Homicidal burning of married women constitutes a significant proportion of dowry deaths. Although it is difficult to determine accurate numbers throughout the country, extrapolation from our data suggests that homicide may account for 600–750 deaths per year. Others (see Jutla in recommended reading) suggest the figure may be much higher. A 2000 New York Times article quoted an official figure of 6975 dowry deaths in 1998. Because of the nature of the crime, it is improbable, if not impossible, to know its true incidence. The circumstances, however, are commonly described.

So using the 6975 figure that's about 1 ever hour and a quarter. — Murphy, Jun 22 '15 at 13:34

Is a woman murdered every 20 minutes for dowry?

1 Answers1