<p>Studies show that land ownership is crucial for women’s empowerment, enhancing their social and economic status within their households and society. However, the dynamics differ for tribal communities, as literature suggests that tribal women have higher involvement in decision-making compared to non-tribal women. This study aims to examine the disparity in land ownership and the relationship between land ownership with empowerment among tribal and non-tribal women in rural India, based on fifth round of National Family Health Survey. Two distinct types of empowerment measurement were used: one in which women take joint decisions with their husbands or other family members, or make decisions alone, and another in which they make decisions independently. Through empirical analysis, it is observed that those women who own land have a greater influence on family decisions compared to those who do not own land. Women from landless household working in organized or unorganized sector exhibit higher say in decision making. The type of employment remuneration, religion, age, education, and household economic status plays an important role in their participation in decision-making. The findings of this study highlight the multifaceted nature of women’s empowerment, indicating that factors beyond land ownership significantly influence women’s roles within households.</p>