Discrimination against Women in a Matrilineal Society: A Reality in the Khasi Tribe of Meghalaya

The North eastern region of India is diverse in many ways - economically, socially, culturally, and religion wise. In this region, both patrilineal and matrilineal social structures exist side by side. The Khasi tribe of Meghalaya follows the matrilineal system, where lineage and inheritance are traced through women. In such societies, women are expected to play a pivotal role and hold a place of pride in the social setup, unlike their counterparts in a patrilineal society. The main purpose of this study is to unravel the veracity of the belief that women are not discriminated against in the Khasi society. The parameters that have been considered to probe into the existence or non-existence of discrimination against women are: employment, food intake, health, education, allocation of household work, and participation in decision making. The study reveals that discrimination against women is an unfortunate reality among the Khasi community of Meghalaya. The Composite Gender Index that was constructed indicates that the intensity of discrimination was greater in health and decision making as compared to the other parameters considered in the study.