Kerala has been one Indian state which defied national trends and provided a model of development that is more open and inclusive of women. This essay aims to understand three major aspects. The first is whether the actual position of women in Kerala is reflected in the indicators that have been released. The second objective is to analyse the role women have played in the success of the Kerala model of development and the third is to understand if there has been any impact of having been a matrilineal society on the development of women in the state.