Position of Widow under Hindu Law: Legal Rights and Social Reality
Keywords:
Widowhood; Hindu Law; Women’s Property Rights; Gender Justice; Hindu Succession Act; Social RealityAbstract
The legal position of widows under Hindu law has undergone significant transformation since independence, particularly through statutory reforms aimed at securing equality, dignity, and economic security. Historically, widows occupied a marginalised status within Hindu society, governed by patriarchal norms that restricted property rights, remarriage, and social participation. Although post-independence legislation, especially the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 and its 2005 amendment, has formally recognised widows as equal heirs, the lived social reality of widows often remains marked by exclusion, dependency, and vulnerability. This paper critically examines the evolution of widows’ rights under Hindu law and contrasts legal guarantees with empirical social realities. Adopting a mixed doctrinal and empirical approach, the study analyses statutory provisions, judicial interpretation, and socio-legal data on widowhood. It argues that while Hindu law has made substantial progress in recognising widows’ legal rights, structural social inequalities and weak implementation continue to undermine substantive justice.
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