The Power of Women: A Study of the tribes of Meghalaya
Journal Title: International Journal of Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies (IJIMS) - Year 2016, Vol 4, Issue 1
Abstract
Meghalaya is a very small state in the north-east India but its tradition and culture has something to inspire the rest of the country. Meghalaya is inhabited by three tribes, namely, the Khasis, the Garos and the Jaintias, but the state and its people are one of the few surviving matrilineal society. The women of these tribes enjoy more freedom and respect than the women in the rest of the country. In Meghalaya, women are considered superior than men, which is a rare culture in our country. The tribes of this state celebrates the birth of a daughter in the family because daughters are considered as an asset to the family, unlike the rest of the country where female foeticide is taking its toll and a daughter is considered as a burden for the family. The inheritance laws of the state of Meghalaya are in the favour of women instead of men. The daughters in Meghalaya inherit the property from their mothers unlike other Indian societies where the ancestral property is passed from father to his son generation after generation. But every coin has two sides and we should not judge anything from just one side, we need to consider both the sides of the coin to know the real value. It is true that the state offers ample power to its ladies but in the public domain they are still behind men. The state of Meghalaya is matrilineal but not matriarchal. The women in a matrilineal state are not as much powerful as they would have been in a matriarchal state. This paper analyses both sides of the situation of women- the pros of living in a matrilineal state as well as the cons of not having a matriarchal society.
Authors and Affiliations
Puspita Das, Ayuta Mohanty
Keywords
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