Land and property rights of women in Indian society Dr. Varghese Lata Marina Associate Professor, PG Department of English, Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta, Kerala Online published on 6 October, 2012. Abstract All human beings are entitled to certain basic rights that define a meaningful existence. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was formulated by the United Nation in 1948 to safeguard and promote human rights at the global level. Since then various human rights treatise have been established to safeguard the interest of the minorities and the marginalized sections of society including women. Women’s human right is a revolutionary notion. During the UN Decade for Women (1976-85), apart from establishing universal standards to promote and protect women’s rights, the United Nations held four international conferences on women for achieving gender equality, including that of inheritance rights(land and property rights). However, in Indian society, within the family, gender constructs creates gender roles leading to gender discrimination. In addition, the Personal Laws have often been exploited to the disadvantage of women, although it is hoped that the Uniform Family Code (UFC) will take into account the anomalies within the existing laws. In India, agriculture is the main source of livelihood and land is an essential element of identity. Land rights are civil rights of fundamental importance to an individual and it does not merely mean ownership rights. For most women, especially in the rural context, land is their only source of livelihood. While women in India have the legal right to own land, very few do. For those women who do own land, ownership rarely translates into control of the land or of the assets flowing from the land. It is against this background I wish to examine the Land and Property Rights of Women in Indian Society. Top Keywords Human rights, Women, Land and Property rights, Indian society. Top |