Author(s): RM Kamble

Abstract: Women’s property rights represent a decisive step toward dismantling patriarchal structures and advancing gender justice. Ownership and control over property provide women with economic security, social dignity, and legal autonomy. In India, the historical exclusion of women from coparcenary rights under Hindu law reflected deep-rooted inequality. Legislative reforms particularly the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 along with progressive judicial pronouncements, have redefined women’s inheritance rights by recognizing daughters as equal coparceners by birth. These reforms align personal law with constitutional mandates of equality under Articles 14 and 15, and international commitments such as CEDAW and the Sustainable Development Goals. However, practical challenges remain: social resistance, misuse of oral partition claims, exclusion of tribal women under Section 2(2) of the Act, and gaps in implementation. This study explores women’s property rights as a marker of empowerment, examining their economic, social, and legal implications. It evaluates recent case law and policy developments while suggesting reforms to ensure that formal rights translate into substantive empowerment for women in India.

DOI: 10.22271/civillaw.2025.v5.i2c.158

Pages: 190-193 | Views: 14 | Downloads: 3

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