Published Paper Details:

This paper reviews the critical intersection of Tribal (Indigenous) women's property rights and the role of the United Nations (UN). It identifies a pervasive global challenge stemming from the conflict between discriminatory customary laws--which frequently deny women secure ownership and inheritance of land--and the universal principles of gender equality and human rights. The analysis highlights that secure property rights are fundamentally linked to tribal women's economic autonomy, food security, and protection from violence. The UN plays a pivotal role in establishing the normative framework for reform, primarily through the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which mandates States to eliminate discrimination in rural women's land access (Article 14), and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which demands special attention to Indigenous women's rights within the context of collective land claims (Article 22). The literature underscores the persistent implementation gap between international commitments and national practices, noting that legal pluralism often allows regressive customary laws to persist. Ultimately, the UN framework serves as a vital legal and moral support for advocates and judiciaries worldwide, driving the necessary legal reforms and policy harmonization required to ensure gender justice and tenure security for tribal women.