Mary Roy's Fight for Human Dignity and Equality

Mary Roy was an educator, and activist who died very recently in Kottayam, Kerala.?

She won a landmark lawsuit (against the gender-biased inheritance law)?in 1986 which now enables Syrian Christian women to inherit property.?

?A woman who left an abusive marriage?discovered that as a Syrian Christian she was not entitled to any share in her family property, she was forced to leave a cottage in Ooty that belonged to her father.?

?The roots of inequality lay in the law??

The personal law governing inheritance among Christians in Kerala was the Travancore Christian Succession Act,?as per this law, a daughter could only inherit one-fifth of the share of the property inherited by the son, or Rs 5,000, whichever is less.?

This to me as a woman feels like a slap on my face like someone had left the stale, unpleasant leftover for you.?

?A long-drawn struggle??

When she discovered that she was deprived of her rights just because she was a woman, she took the task upon herself and fought the long-drawn battle in court.?

She fought not just for herself but for all the women in her community.??And she fought injustice not just in the courtroom but within her community and her family, as members of her family and her community did not support her battle.??

Mary was an educated and accomplished professional who worked as a Company Secretary?in Calcutta. Therefore, not?acquiring a piece of land would?not make her destitute.??

She said in an interview, “My battle was not for a piece of property, but to ensure that women in this country enjoy the rights guaranteed by the Constitution."?

?The landmark judgment, which she won, sent shockwaves to the patriarchal Christian establishment in Kerala. Mary Roy came under attack. A positive disruptor of the status quo, of patriarchy in the society, stood her ground till the end.?

Through her battles, she also debunked the populist assertion that ‘dowry’ or ‘groom price’ is synonymous with a girl’s inheritance.?Dowry is a social evil that still has societal approval to parade as "women’s right".?

Why is this society serving us poison disguised as a potion????

The battle against inequality, patriarchy is long and dreary. Individuals like Mary and their march against injustice?give you hope and keep you going. Although not physically present, you still feel that there are people and communities that have your back, and that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.