There is an almost absent or insignificant representation of women at all levels of administration starting from the Dorbars in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills to the Nokmaships in the Garo Hills. The various autonomous district councils and the assembly, too, have no special provisions for representation of women.
In Meghalaya, the condition of women is, at times, more precarious than their peers in other male-dominated societies. Women here experience not only the universal discrimination, but also the additional burden of living under the assumption that they control everything. This, in turn, gives rise to a false perception that women do not need any special measures to ensure their rights.
"We suffer as much as other women do elsewhere in the country. We too face gender discrimination, sexual harassment and other prejudices," says Amanda, a young working tribal girl, who, by virtue of being the youngest daughter of her family, is the custodian of its property. While lineage and inheritance is reckoned through the feminine line, society resembles a patrilineal one, in that major decision-making is vested in males most importantly, the maternal uncles. "There is a marked distinction between ownership and control of property," Amanda points out. Contrary to reports that atrocities against women are less in the matrilineal Meghalaya, domestic violence is an issue of great concern. Numerous cases of crimes are going unreported and unrecorded.