The Evolution Of Women’s Property And Inheritance Rights In India: From Patriarchal Exclusion To Formal Legal Equality
- IJLLR Journal
- May 7
- 1 min read
Kripalinee Mohapatra & Loknath Prasad Sahoo, Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar
ABSTRACT
Evolution of women’s property and inheritance rights in India is a significant move from patriarchal values to formal legal equality for women. From being restricted under various personal laws, women’s property and inheritance rights have come a long way with colonial and post-colonial legal interventions, including constitutional adjudication and legislative reforms. The Hindu Succession Act, 1956, and its significant amendment in 2005 have significantly changed the dynamics of coparcenary property rights for women, who are now equal heirs to their fathers’ property. However, women’s property and inheritance rights in India still remain in a state of structural inequality due to various socio-cultural barriers and the presence of multiple legal systems in force in the country. In this paper, a doctrinal and comparative analysis of women’s property and inheritance rights in India is made to critically evaluate their evolution in the context of various legal reforms and their socio-economic implications for women’s empowerment in India.
