TISS Consultation Flags Stark Gender Disparity in Maharashtra Land Ownership

A legal consultation held at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai on Monday highlighted a severe divide between women's legal rights and actual land ownership across Maharashtra. The review of state-specific laws covering senior citizens, inheritance, and succession was jointly organised by the National Commission for Women, the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, and TISS's School of Law, Rights & Constitutional Governance.

During the discussions, the National Commission for Women raised questions over whether existing statutory protections that appear strong on paper effectively reach their intended beneficiaries, specifically widows, farmers' wives, and elderly women across the state.

Discussions at the consultation pointed to stark disparities in agricultural property holdings. While eight in ten rural women workers in Maharashtra are actively engaged in agriculture, fewer than two in ten farm holdings are registered in a woman's name.

Data presented from the 2025 Periodic Labour Force Survey underscored the scale of female labour in the state's agrarian economy. According to the survey findings cited at the consultation, 82 per cent of Maharashtra's rural female workforce is employed in agriculture, compared to 58 per cent of rural men.

Representatives from the NCW, MSCW, and TISS's School of Law, Rights & Constitutional Governance participated in the review to assess the practical enforcement of inheritance and property measures alongside rights concerning senior citizens and dignity.