By this term they mean female rule in marriage and family matters as well as in property customs. Since these activities occupy the physical and social energy of almost all of daily life, there is some truth to the notion that women rule Minangkabau society. For example, husbands move into the household of their wives after marriage where he is expected to contribute his labor and income.
Women inherit the ancestral rice and farm lands along with the houses of the older women.
Women manage the proceeds of the land, with the cooperation of their brothers and the senior males of their matrilineal clan. Neither male nor female rule is possible according to Minang social philosophy because of their belief that decision making should be by consensus. Although differences of opinion are regarded as normal, consensus is the goal of all deliberations. I was told. The consequence is a peaceable, nearly violence free society with a remarkable egalitarian philosophy undergirding the activities of everyday life.