Ensure equal inheritance rights to women: Speakers

Speakers at a virtual roundtable today said the government must ensure equal rights for women in inheritance and family property to eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination against them.

Having no ground beneath their feet is one of the root causes of the existing inequalities against women, they said at the roundtable titled, "Demanding equal rights in inheritance and family property," organised by Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha (BNPS), in association with Oxfam Bangladesh.

BNPS Executive Director Rokeya Kabir chaired the event. Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) Executive Director Shaheen Anam, and Prof Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha of Dhaka University's economics department also joined the event.

The constitution of Bangladesh has given equal rights to men and women in all spheres of state and public life, but even after 50 years of independence, the women of this country are still facing severe discrimination and violence, Rokeya Kabir said.

"To tackle this crisis effectively, women's economic status must be strengthened by ensuring their equal rights to all assets and properties, including inheritance, which will further strengthen women's position in family, society and politics," she said.

Mentioning that there is no recognition of women's unpaid care and domestic work even today, MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam said, "A girl child in a family can easily compare her position with his brother's. Thus, the discrimination and abuse against women and girls are directly related to the fact that women do not have equal rights in their family property."

Prof Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha said education and employment are crucial for women's financial empowerment.

"Women are working as small entrepreneurs when it comes to self-employment, but they are failing to expand their ventures since their resources are limited. Therefore, it is important to have equal rights in the inheritance and family property in order make them self-reliant," she said.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Dr Fauzia Moslem said while all the laws in Bangladesh are being made and implemented in light of the constitution, only the inheritance law is not being amended just to keep women backwards.

She urged the government to enact a uniform family law immediately to stop discrimination and violence against women.

Lack of equal rights in inheritance is also becoming an obstacle in the way of economic, social and political empowerment of women, said Nina Goswami, director of Ain O Salish Kendra.

"Since girls do not have an equal right to inheritance, from the very childhood they are brought up by their families mainly to find suitable grooms for them and send them to their in-laws. Such mentality not only increases child marriage but also creates a situation where women are considered as parasites all through their life," she said.

Other speakers at the event included Enamul Mazid Khan Siddique, interim country director of Oxfam Bangladesh; Sheikh Rokon, head of the editorial department of the daily Samakal; Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Tania Amir, among others.