THE exclusion of women from land ownership and property rights is a widespread practice in Pakistan. Often, many female births and marriages remain unrecorded, and in cases where they are documented, women frequently relinquish their shares to their brothers due to cultural and societal pressures. Despite the Islamic State’s recognition of property ownership as a fundamental human right, cultural norms and discriminatory practices continue to influence women’s decisions regarding property ownership. This exclusion must be promptly addressed through reformative initiatives aimed at tackling the cultural and social dimensions of the issue.
One significant initiative was undertaken by the Board of Revenue, Government of KP, as part of the Settlement and Digitization of Land Records in Merged Districts (SDLR-MDs) project. This project originated from the Tribal Decade Strategy (TDS) of the Government of KP, which aims to address developmental lags in Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) by focusing on economic development through securing land rights.
The SDLR project has dual objectives. Firstly, it aims to complete a multi-step settlement process using Geographic Information System (GIS), a first-time endeavour in the country. Secondly, it seeks to operationalize Service Delivery Centres (SDCs) in Merged Districts. Initially launched in seven pilot sub-divisions, the project later expanded to include eighteen additional sub-divisions. Since its inception in 2020, the settlement process has made significant progress in digitizing family tree records in the pilot sub-divisions. However, during the family-tree creation process, it’s noticeable that the number of women represented remains significantly lower compared to men. Cultural norms, including polygamy, prevalent in the region suggest that women, if not equal in number, cannot be significantly less than men.
A detailed analysis of the data reveals concerning disparities. For instance, in Dara Adam Kheil, out of 36,193 family-tree recordings, there were 22,772 male entries compared to 13,421 female entries. Similarly, in Bajaur, out of 24622 family tree recordings, there were 15808 male entries and 8814 female entries. The disparity is even more pronounced in areas like Landi Kotal and Lower Kurram. Overall, across the seven pilot sub-divisions, there were 82,036 female entries compared to 148,652 male entries out of a total of 230,687 family-tree recordings.
Despite the project’s clear aims to eliminate discrimination against women and other vulnerable groups, the data presents a different reality. To address these challenges, the project, in collaboration with donors like USAID, conducted its first-ever awareness session for female students and professionals from the Newly Merged Districts of KPK, on March 8, 2024, International Women’s Day. The session aimed to raise awareness among young women about their land rights. The session brought together leaders from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ombudsperson office, academia, religious communities, legal experts, and over 100 students to discuss and drive forward the vital role of women in land tenure and property rights. Panel discussions with scholars emphasized the importance of securing land rights for women, with Dr. Abdur Rehman, Chairman of the Shaikh Zayed Islamic Centre, University of Peshawar, underlining their significance in Islam. Rakhshanda Naz, the first woman ombudsperson of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, pledged her office’s support in ensuring women’s property rights.
While women from NMDs found the awareness session beneficial, further efforts are needed to ensure their inclusion in family tree documentation and record-making. The project also aims to provide free legal assistance for women in Settlement offices, promote their participation in Community Based Organizations (CBOs), and organize training sessions in Settlement offices to facilitate awareness campaigns. Through endeavors in land settlement operations and the profound impact of widespread awareness, SDLR project is not merely discussing gender equality; but is actively crafting its essence.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
