ACROSS INDIA’S TRIBAL HEARTLANDS, where women have long been vital to community life as cultivators, gatherers and custodians of traditional knowledge, the right to inherit ancestral property has historically been precarious and uneven. Unlike many other Indian women, those from Scheduled Tribes fall outside the ambit of mainstream inheritance laws such as the Hindu Succession Act, leaving property matters to be resolved under a mosaic of customary practices, many of which have favored male heirs. A landmark Supreme Court ruling in July 2025 has thrust this issue into the national spotlight, affirming that denying a tribal woman her rightful share of family property without clear, legally valid custom is a violation of constitutional equality. In spite of this ruling, deep legal and social barriers remain, such as diverse tribal customs, concerns over land alienation, limited legal awareness and enduring patriarchal pressures have slowed the march toward true equality. The real test now lies in whether legal victories translate into lasting change in villages, forests and hilltops across India.
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