Gender Inequality In The Inheritance Of Agricultural Property By Hindu Women Tenants In North-West India

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Mrs. Sanchari Biswas, Ph.D Research Scholar, Department of Law, Sikkim University

ABSTRACT

This article critically examines the persistent gender inequality faced by Hindu women tenants regarding inheritance of agricultural property in North-West India. Although India’s legal framework has evolved to promote gender equality—most notably through the 2005 amendment of the Hindu Succession Act—regional tenurial laws continue to privilege male lineage, systematically denying women equal rights to inherit agricultural land. Through a review of legislative history, constitutional doctrines, and judicial interpretations, the study highlights how state-specific statutes and customs override central reforms, perpetuating discrimination despite the removal of statutory barriers at the national level. Statistical evidence underscores the magnitude of this disparity, with women representing a significant proportion of the agricultural workforce yet holding a disproportionately small share of land ownership. The article concludes by advocating for harmonization of state tenancy laws with central legislation and urges judicial and legislative action to fully realize gender equality in land inheritance for Hindu women tenants.

91. GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE INHERITANCE OF AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY BY HINDU WOMEN TENANTS I

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