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Anti-Gender Developments

Pakistan: Unanimous Support for Bill Protecting Women’s Rights

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Pakistan’s National Assembly unanimously passed the “Anti-Women’s Practices” bill which punishes individuals who force women into marriages and deny women inheritance. The bill calls for 3 – 10 years in prison or a $6,000 fine for compelling a woman to marry against her will. If one forces a woman to marry the Quarn, a practice often used to keep property within a family, one faces 3 – 10 years in prison or a $6,000 fine. Finally, anyone found guilty of preventing a woman from inheriting faces 5 – 10 years in prison or a $12,000 fine.

While advocates for women’s rights heralded the passage as a major victory, there is concern about how the bill will be enforced. Many Pakistani men believe that these practices are commanded by the Qur'an, which could make implementation difficult.

Compiled from: Pakistan Passes New Bill To Protect Women’s Rights, Al Jazeera English (18 November 2011).

For More Information:

See the Forced and Child Marriage section and the Ensure Women's Property and Inheritance Rights section of this website.

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