For centuries, we have been following the old patriarchal system of the sons in the family being given more prominence than daughters. Although mindsets have become way more progressive in today’s times, the practice of daughters being married off to another house and being prepared since childhood to perform duties as an efficient wife and daughter-in-law is still prevalent. This applies to almost all the diverse cultures in India, but there is an exception. Contrary to popular practice, daughters are given more preference in the Khasi tribe living in Meghalaya, Assam and some areas of Bangladesh. In this tribe, the birth of daughters is celebrated, while there is no special event for the birth of a son.
There are very less matriarchal societies in the world and Khasis are one of them. The head of the family is a female matriarch and the women in the family have a status equivalent to, if not more than the men in the family. Men leave their homes after marriage and go live with their in-laws while women stay with their parents all their lives. Not just this, but contrary to most cultures, the man takes up the surname of the wife in the Khasi tribe.
In addition, the girls rather than the boys inherit the father or grandfather’s property. The youngest daughter receives the largest share of the property if there are multiple daughters. In the Khasi community, the youngest daughter receives the largest share of the inheritance and has to take care of her parents, unmarried siblings and property.
Women are also allowed the right to marry multiple times. After a divorce, the father also has no right over the child, if any. While the rest of the world has women battling for equal rights, in a completely contrary system, Khasi men have time and again raised their voices for equality for themselves. Apart from Khasi, the Garo and Jaintia tribes of Meghalaya also have a matriarchal system.
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