Matriarchy is a social system where women hold the main power. In these societies, women lead in areas like politics, moral authority, social status, and control over property, often excluding men from these roles to a large extent.

In a matriarchal family, the mother is the head of the household. Similarly, in a matriarchal society, women are in charge of governing and making important decisions.

However, when looking at history, there is very little clear proof that true matriarchal societies have existed. Often, people confuse matriarchy with other systems like:

• Egalitarian societies, where men and women share power equally, or
• Matrilineal societies, where family lineage is traced through the mother, but power may still be shared or held by men.