Gender and Right To Inheritance of property Among The Syrian christians of Kerala

Abstract

Among the Syrian Christians in Kerala parental property hasbeen inherited by the male and women have been given streedhanam atthe time of marriage instead of share in parental property. This systemwas in accordance with the acts enacted by the erstwhile princely rulersbefore the independence. The Syrian Christians under purview of theseacts continued to follow the system after the independence. In 1986 theSupreme Court of India declared the pre-independence acts invalidand decreed that the Indian Succession Act 1925, which provided forgender equality in right to intestate property, had been applicable to
the Syrian Christians from 1 April 1951. A cross section of 300 SyrianChristian married women from Kerala was contacted by the author inorder to understand their views on gender equality in right to intestateproperty conferred by the Supreme Court. The respondents have hadmixed views on the issue.