At least 527 women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have lodged complaints this year regarding the lack of protection for their inheritance rights, as they complain about becoming victims of violence while seeking their rightful inheritance.

One such case involves a woman from Peshawar, who was allegedly assaulted by her brothers while attempting to claim her share of the family property.

Sadia, the woman in question, told Aaj News that she has been battling for her inheritance rights for over a year while “frequently visiting” the courts. Despite taking legal action against her brothers, she has claimed to have been facing setbacks and has yet to see any success in securing her rightful property share.

Only 20 – out of the 527 complaints filed by women this year regarding the insecurity of their inheritance rights – have been resolved so far, according to data obtained from the Provincial Ombudsman for Women’s Rights.

Rukhshanda Naz, the provincial ombudsman for women’s rights, said: “There is no regional office in any district of the province and the ombudsman is currently overseeing the entire province alone.”

She added that a legal desk has been established in Peshawar with the support of various donors to assist women in legal matters related to inheritance.

Naz stressed the need for expanding the ombudsman’s reach, stating that to effectively safeguard women’s inheritance rights, not only should the staff be increased, but there is also a dire need to establish offices at the divisional level across the province.