An international study has revealed that women’s ownership of homes—a defining feature of Meghalaya’s matrilineal society—is not just cultural heritage, but a key determinant of better health for women, men, and children.

Published in Social Science & Medicine, the study titled “Female house ownership drives the positive association between matriliny and women’s health in Meghalaya (India)” was conducted by researchers from the University of Montpellier, University of Oxford, and the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong.

The team analyzed data from the 2015 Demographic and Health Survey, covering more than 4,000 women, 800 men, and 3,000 children in Meghalaya — one of India’s few matrilineal states where descent and inheritance pass through the mother’s line.

Their findings ar

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