Tina Aneja, O. P. Jindal Global University
ABSTRACT
It has been recorded in history that the framing of property laws has always been a male prerogative, exclusively. Therefore, the laws pertaining to inheritance tend to be heavily loaded in favour of them, with very little scope left for questioning the inherent unequal character of these legislations. This makes the whole concept of equality merely academic, wherever provided even as a precondition. Inheritance rights of females in India have always been governed by traditional societal norms and the same can be said for Hindu Personal laws. Being a collectivist society, people in India often emphasize on the importance of family values, passed on from their ancestors, which eventually shape the thinking of the society. This paper investigates how a gradual change in the value system of an Indian Hindu family over the years leads to a change in the inheritance laws, thereby empowering women by increasing their autonomy within the household.
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