Why equal property rights for women are a necessity, not a luxury

Women are running businesses, building farms, earning salaries, and holding and taking care of families. They are not just contributing to national economies - they are sustaining them. Yet when it comes to inheritance, a core aspect of economic security, countless women are still left behind.

Inheritance laws based on the assumption that men are the sole breadwinners continue to treat women as secondary heirs, entitled to less or nothing at all.

In practice, this means that a woman who has worked her entire life, or the house she knows as her own, supported her parents, or raised her children, may be denied an equal share of the very assets she helped create.

It is not just unfair. It is a barrier to development, dignity, and generational progress.

In today’s world, women are not waiting for permission to participate in the economy—they already are. From tech startups in Istanbul to garment factories in Dhaka, from farms in sub-Saharan Africa to call centres in Manila, women are working, earning, and often supporting entire households.

Many women contribute to family expenses alongside or even instead of male relatives. A lot of them support elderly parents financially. They now pay for siblings’ education or manage family land.

Yet when parents pass away, family wealth is often passed disproportionately to sons, brothers, or uncles. In many cases, women are pressured—gently or forcefully or talked into “giving up” their share for the sake of family harmony. The result is generations of women without land, homes, or financial safety nets.

Some countries have already recognised this imbalance and taken bold steps to fix it.

Nearly a century ago, Turkey adopted a civil code based on the Swiss model, replacing religious and customary laws with a secular legal framework. Under this law, men and women inherit equally. Property disputes are handled in civil courts, and women have full legal standing in all family matters.

This legal change was not just symbolic—it transformed women’s lives. Today, Turkish women are more likely to own land, hold titles in their own names, and take legal recourse when rights are denied. While social norms still present challenges, the law stands firmly on the side of equality.

Tunisia has long led the Arab world in progressive family law. It abolished polygamy in the 1950s and has continued to expand women’s rights in marriage, divorce, and custody. In 2018, a presidential commission recommended equal inheritance for daughters and sons—a move that sparked national debate but also signaled a cultural shift.

Though the proposed bill has not yet passed, many Tunisian families are already voluntarily dividing inheritance equally, inspired by the growing belief that justice today looks different than it did in the past.

India presents a compelling and complex case. While it does not yet have a uniform civil code, reforms within individual legal frameworks have led to major progress. In 2005, the Hindu Succession Act was amended to give daughters equal inheritance rights in ancestral property—ensuring legal parity with sons.

This amendment marked a watershed moment, especially for millions of women in rural India who had long been excluded from land ownership. However, gaps remain. In many communities, customs and social pressure still override legal rights, and the implementation of equality is uneven.

The ongoing national conversation around a uniform civil code aims to bridge these gaps by offering all citizens—regardless of background—equal protection and rights in family matters, including inheritance.

When women are denied equal inheritance, the cost is not just emotional—it’s profoundly material:

A woman who inherits no land may be excluded from farming programmes or credit.

A widow without property rights may be evicted by in-laws.

A daughter without a share may end up caring for aging parents without the means to do so.

In contrast, when women own property, they invest more in their families, have greater decision-making power, and are better protected from poverty. Land and property are more than assets—they are anchors of security and freedom.

Equal inheritance is not a Western idea, nor is it foreign to local values. It is rooted in the basic principle that contribution deserves recognition. If women share in the work, they must share in the wealth.

Several countries—including Rwanda, Nepal, South Africa, and Ethiopia—have taken steps toward equal inheritance through constitutional reforms and civil codes. These changes did not destroy family values; they strengthened families by making justice part of the foundation.

Reforming inheritance law is not an attack on tradition or on men. It is a realistic response to the world we now live in—where families rely on women not just emotionally, but economically.

But even if a woman does not contribute financially, even if she is unable to support her parents or siblings due to her own life circumstances—that should not affect her right to an equal share.

Inheritance is not a reward for productivity. It is a recognition of equal personhood. No son is asked whether he “earned” his share—why should a daughter be?

Imagine a daughter who lives far from home, or one who had fewer opportunities than her brothers. Should her place in the family be diminished because of it? Should her legal rights be second-guessed? The answer must be no.

Equal inheritance rights are not just about property. They are about fairness, dignity, and the promise of a just future. As women continue to carry families, communities, and economies forward, the law must stand beside them—not behind them, and certainly not beneath them.