Hardly four per cent land in rural areas of the country is owned by women, reveals a survey depicting the worst scenario about women's property rights, reports UNB.
Noted economist Prof Abul Barkat conducted the exploratory study, titled 'Assessing Inheritance Laws and Their Impact on Rural Women in Bangladesh' with support from International Land Coalition (ILC), an NGO.
Of the Muslim community, only 15.8 per cent land at household level in rural areas is owned by women, but it is only five percent of the land effectively owned by women, according to the survey revealed in the city Wednesday.
Among the Hindu, Santal and Chakma communities, the scenario is even worse. However, the picture in matrilineal Garo community is satisfactory in term of women rights, the study shows.
The study findings were revealed at the opening session of a two-day workshop, titled 'Women's Inheritance Rights Studies: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Pakistan', at the city's Brac Centre Inn.
Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) and ILC jointly organised the workshop being attended by experts from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Indonesia. ALRD Chairperson Khusi Kabir moderated the opening session.
The study defined the effective ownership of women over the land as having legal document of lands, having courage to claim as own land, having decision-making power to sell it, and to use the income generated from the land.
Presenting the survey findings, Prof Barkat, also a Dhaka University teacher, said inheritance laws in Bangladesh are a complex and thorny issue since there is no uniform law as the inheritance laws here have been formulated mainly based on religious doctrines.
