What does it actually mean when a woman owns the house but not the decisions made inside it? Having recently watched a series of videos about Meghalaya’s matrilineal system, I found myself questioning a common belief: does tracing heritage through women really mean that a society is free from patriarchal norms? Meghalaya is frequently recognised as an anomaly in India, a region where surnames, clan affiliations and inherited properties are passed down through mothers. However as I delved deeper , it became increasingly clear that matriliny and matriarchy are not synonymous. Indian society is largely patriarchal but there are also some matrilineal societies that are sometimes mistaken for matriarchy. Matriliny is a system of kinship where descent and inheritance are traced through the female line, from mother to child whereas in a matriarchy women hold the primary authority and power, and descent need not necessarily be traced down the female line. Meghalaya is the epito...
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