Matrilineal society

See photos of Indonesia (including Borobudur Temple, Bali, orangutans, and more) in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

In the remote village of Mawlynnong in northeast India, the Khasi tribe follows a rare tradition of women running the show.

Male domination is not inevitable, omnipresent, natural or biological. In various societies, men and women arrange their lives differently - challenging monolithic notions of ‘the patriarchy’.

Chickasaw women who wanted to be warriors became warriors. Others played an important role in rallying and rousing war parties to action as they went into battle.

In one of the world's last matrilineal societies, women control property and inheritance and dominate public spaces. So, why are some women seeing change as a good thing?

Who runs the world? Girls! In these matriarchal societies, these words aren't just Beyoncé lyrics; they're a fact.

Pema Lamu (73) from the village Zhashi. Faces and hands of most Mosuo women are marked by the daily working hours in the fields. There is a clear division of…

Matrilineal descent refers to a system of kinship in which ancestral lineage and inheritance are traced through the female line.

Away from current trends and economic progress, indigenous tribes of India are proud of their Adivasi identity, which includes their dialect, culture, celebrations, food, dance, and music. With such a mysterious culture and hospitality, they also have a contrasted patriarchal and matrilineal society. One such tribe that existed for the last 65,000 years witnessed its end, the Bo tribe.

A Garo Tribe woman, Meghalaya, Northeastern India. The Garos are matrilineal society. The family property is passed on from mother to the youngest daughter. They are mostly Christians, although there are rural areas where animist belief and traditions are still followed.