FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The most common questions we get, answered plainly.
What is Calculate My Dowry?
It's a satirical, interactive experience that starts out looking like a luxury dowry valuation calculator and ends by demonstrating why that idea doesn't hold up: a person's worth cannot be calculated.
Does this site calculate a real dowry amount?
No. Every figure shown during the experience is deliberately arbitrary. The point of the experience is to reveal how easily a nonsensical number can be made to look precise and official.
Do you support or promote dowry?
No. This project exists specifically to challenge and critique the practice of dowry. Dowry is illegal in India, and nothing on this site is intended to encourage, facilitate, or normalize it.
Is my name or personal information stored?
No. If you type a name into the certificate personalization field, that name is used only in your browser to render the image and is never sent to our servers. We only ever store anonymous, aggregate data with no identifying information attached.
What happens to the answers I give during the experience?
An anonymous record of the point values behind your choices, and the resulting on-screen figure, may be stored in aggregate to power our public impact statistics. This record is never linked to your name, email, or IP address.
Is the downloadable certificate an official document?
No. It's shareable digital artwork created for awareness purposes only. It has no legal or official standing.
Why does it ask about things like salary, cooking, or fixing Wi-Fi?
Those questions mirror the kind of criteria that get quietly weighed in real dowry negotiations, alongside more obviously irrelevant ones. Mixing genuinely arbitrary questions in with familiar ones is part of showing how arbitrary the whole exercise is.
Can I use this site's content for awareness or education?
Yes, for personal, non-commercial, and non-misleading purposes, such as sharing the certificate or discussing the experience. Please see our Terms & Conditions for details.
I'm dealing with a real dowry situation. What should I do?
Please don't rely on this site for help with a real situation. Contact the National Commission for Women's 24x7 Helpline at 14490, or dial 112 for emergency assistance. See our Contact page for more.
How do I get in touch with the team?
Visit our Contact page for general inquiries and press contact details.