Right to inheritance and property 'far cry' for women in Pakistan

Women in Pakistan continue to suffer immensely as they have been deprived of the right to inheritance and property and are unable to voice their concerns.

Both the Constitution of Pakistan and Shari'ah guarantee the rights to property and inheritance to women, however in the absence of strict implementation of legislation according to the law prescribed and religious injunctions, women have been unable to exercise them, the Dailytimes reported, adding that the women in Pakistan have been deprived to possess the right to inheritance and property for decades.

There are some legislative measures that have been taken into consideration by the government of Pakistan to give women's share of their estates so that they do not have to fight for it by registering their cases in court.

As per the reports by the Dailytimes, the Prevention of Anti-Women Practices(Criminal law Amendment) Act was passed in 2011.

The act introduced new penalties in the Pakistan Penal Code and offered punishments to guilty persons who deprive women of their inheritance, it added.

Last year, the government of Pakistan was able to introduce the Enforcement of Women's Property Rights Act 2021 due to increased pressure that demanded the state ensure the protection of rights to the inheritance of women.

The new legislation which was taken up by all the provinces in Pakistan enables women to address their complaints before an ombudsperson to have their matters associated with property rights resolved speedily as such laws were a prime need of the country to empower women that the law of the land protects their rights and they might enjoy share without having fear of their relatives and families depriving them of it.

However, it has been found that the state has been performing inefficiently to order the implementation of such laws as women are being continuously deprived of their rightful share of the property.

Pakistan's hierarchical and patriarchal society has a long way to go with regard to women's empowerment and addressing crimes against women, in these countries. Issues such as the wage gap are a far cry in a country where the major issue facing women is still the threat of physical violence,

According to 'Global Gender Gap Report 2021', Pakistan ranked 153 out of 156 countries on the gender parity index, that is, among the bottom four.Human rights activists in the country assert that Pakistani society needs to change from within and alter the social structures and narratives that enable such heinous crimes. Meanwhile, any deeper change in Pakistani society's treatment of women may be a distant dream, the report concluded.

(ANI)

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