PESHAWAR
A one-day CSOs’ Alliance Meeting was held here on promoting women’s property and inheritance rights in the newly merged districts, organized by the Community Appraisal and Motivation Program (CAMP) in coordination with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Secretariat. A MoU was also signed between the Ombudsperson Secretariat and CAMP for collaboration.
Ms. Rukhshanda Naz, KP Ombudsperson closed the event by urging the local CSOs to spread awareness about property rights of women in the NMDs and to share cases with the Ombudsperson for processing. She informed the participants that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa adopted “the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act” in October 2019. This Act aims at providing protection to women of their rights of ownership and possession of properties owned by them, ensuring that such rights are not violated by any means of harassment, coercion, force or fraud and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. She also explained the process for submitting applications.
Earlier, representatives from local CSOs and CAMP discussed small initiatives which can be implemented to raise awareness on women’s inheritance rights, as entailed in religion and national law. Activities will include Jirga meetings with religious elders and tribal leaders, sessions with law enforcement representatives, community meetings with men and women, radio and print campaigns for awareness and facilitating women to submit cases related to property with the Ombudsperson Secretariat.
The collaborative efforts of the Ombudsperson Secretariat and CAMP will promote women’s right to inheritance in newly merged Districts (NMDS) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where women are deprived of their share in inheritance.
Although laws have been extended to the former tribal belt after it was ‘merged’ with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in May 2018, local ‘Rewaj’ (traditions) and lack of administrative structures hinder implementation.
The project will support civil society to raise awareness among the local population and advocate with provincial legislators and law enforcement departments for the implementation of provincial inheritance law. The project is supported by the Commonwealth Foundation.
