Consultation on women's rights to land held

Female farm workers from all over Punjab gathered at a consultation on 'Women's Rights to Land' arranged by the Women Workers Help Line (WWHL) alleged that their issues are being ignored even after contributing largely to the country's economy.
The representatives of women farmers' community expressed that women of our country have no access to land and not even to small plots for housing despite working equally with men in the fields. Biased law, discriminatory inheritance pattern, violence against women, hold of men on family land, customary, religious and social norms all hinder together women's access to and control over land.
Having no ownership of land, women are deficient of social dignity, economic stability and sense of security. The participants presented a charter of demands in the moot and urged the government to strictly enforce the inheritance laws. 'There should be equal right of women in land and property to men, they viewed. They said women farmers play a central role in agriculture sector, yet remained unrecognised and invisible.
Farmer women in most parts of Pakistan face multiple and complex economic, social, and cultural barriers in their access to basic human rights. Most rural women in Pakistan are uneducated and considered unskilled workers. Therefore, strict attention should be paid to educate and arrange skill development training for women farmers to empower them economically, they urged.
Even though rural women conduct over 60 per cent of agricultural work in Pakistan they are not considered 'farmers' because farmer is the person who owns the land. This result in lower status of rural women in general and women farmers in particular who despite doing more work than men are not acknowledged.
Right to land is one of the most important factors to empower women. Control over the assets and land enables women to choose and decide independently and overcome their social and economic vulnerabilities. The Member Punjab Assembly, Shumaila Rana said women work in fields as peasants more than men.
'We being legislatures and representatives of women want to ensure the enforcement of women friendly laws to for their empowerment, she said adding that the civil and social departments must play their effective role in empowering women.
Punjab MP, Saima Aziz said women have to fight hard for their rights. She said government is now allotting land to poor peasant in Muzaffargarh and Kot Addu. Saima urged that women must struggle for their demands and land rights at all levels. Amna Butter MP, Punjab said women have equal rights that should be exercised forcefully.
The Chairman, National Trade Union, Yousaf Baloch said in his speech that women comprised of 52 percent of the population and should stand together to bring changes in the society. 'Some elements in the government are trying to snatch our rights, we as peasants, women, and labourers must join together to shatter their undemocratic intention,' he said.
Lay Councillor, Bhakkar, Tasleem Zahid, Women Secretary, Labour Party Pakistan, Nazli Javeed, Director Insan Foundation, Kishwar Sultana, Manager Social and Women Rights Unit Action Aid, Aqsa Khan, Director, Women Workers Help Line, Bushra Khaliq also addressed the occasion.