A STUDY ON THE SITUATION OF MUSLIM WIDOWS AND PROPERTY RIGHTS IN SIVAGANGAI DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU

Human need to have the three basic rights namely food, cloth and shelter
guaranteed in any nation for that matter. If individuals are not ensured with such
basic needs, it is the failure of the State and the civil society. The women’s land and
housing rights in India are governed by the respective personal laws of the
respective religion. The women’s property rights are again determined by their
position in the family whether she is a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother,
and daughter in law or a widow of the diseased person. The extent and magnitude of
property rights varies according to the religious laws. However, the laws are
discriminatory and do not give equal rights in property to women in general and
widows in particular across all religious groups. The customary practices also
curtail the access to property rights to women. The socio economic conditions of
widows also add up to the vulnerability. This paper explores the socio economic
conditions and vulnerability of widows among Muslim minority community and their
access to and control over property rights, particularly their basic right to have
shelter as Housing rights.