The dynamics of customary inheritance law from the perspective of gender equality in Klungkung District-Bali

Abstract

The current development and reform in society and government at the local and national levels have made customary law less strict than before. These developments influence also the inheritances law based on customary law. Inheritance disputes or their unequal distributions impacted the marginalization of certain groups, such as women or girls. There has been a shift in the opinion among society regarding women's inequality related to access to inheritance. Several developments of the notion of gender equality have been and are being stipulated in laws and regulations. The gender dimension interacts with other social values in society, and it is related to the social structure as a whole. This research aims to shed a light on the dynamics of customary inheritance law in terms of women's inheritance rights with the perspective of gender equality in Klungkung, Bali. The issues that will be explored are related to the inheritance law focusing on access to civil rights, i.e. women's inheritance rights, after the Decision of Bali MUDP Number 01/Kep/Psm-3/MDP Bali/X/2010 and the Supreme Court Jurisprudence Number 3/Yur/Pdt/2018 was issued. This study was conducted through juridical and sociological methods. From the sociological perspective of gender based on the critical paradigm, the power relations based on gender and social reality among women and men can be analyzed. The gender relations according to the sociological analysis are not only the social relations among women and men but also the power relations in social life. Primary data was collected using interviews and observations in 3 (three) sub-districts in Klungkung, Bali, and secondary data was obtained through a literature review of gender and customary inheritance law.