Exploring Property Rights and Domestic Violence among Hindu Women

Property rights have long been recognized as instrumental to autonomy and independence of individuals around the world. The connection between property rights and gender inequality has its roots in centuries of inequality largely perpetuated through state and customary law. Property rights cannot be understood as a privilege but as a fundamental and basic right that empowers women in domestic, economic and other spheres of life. However, in India, the world's largest democracy and with one of the oldest civilizations, despite constitutional protection and a range of statutory and judicial instruments, Hindu women continue to suffer the most under the combined impact of religious, socioeconomic and sociocultural deprivations. In contemporary India, the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 has gone a long way in protecting women's rights to property after marriage. However, legislative reforms have not always translated into equity and emancipation for women. Legal and socio - economic barriers continue to thwart women's ability to exercise what rights have been granted to them. These barriers are particularly significant in the context of domestic violence. The present paper explores the interplay between property rights of the Hindu women and its role in eradicating domestic violence and initiating women empowerment.