In the quest for better livelihood, many people move out of their homes to seek job opportunities. In India, a large part of the population in rural areas, predominantly men, migrate to the cities in order to provide for their families. They often leave behind their wives, children, and parents in the villages, where they might find it difficult to sustain a living.
As a means to tackle these foreseeable problems, the Uttarakhand government has issued an ordinance which gives women co-ownership rights to their husband’s ancestral property. It is aimed at providing economic support to women who are left behind and depend on agriculture or other small-scale activities to support themselves and their family members. This also makes Uttarakhand the first state in the country to pass such a ruling.
Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat describes this as one of the biggest reforms of the state government, and told Economic Times that Uttarakhand has “set a precedent for other states to follow”.
Lauding the efforts of the state government, BJP Mahila Morcha president Ritu Khanduri mentioned to the newspaper that this is a “historic decision which will empower women”.
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