The Legal Aid Society (LAS), the National Commission for Human Rights and the Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy (SOC) Films organized an important meeting to discuss the rights of women to property and related issues in Karachi on Sunday.

The meeting was held at the Pakistan Secretariat, Senior Adviser to Federal Ombudsman Regional Office Karachi and Syed Anwar Haider thanked the distinguished participants.

LAS Executive Director Haya Emaan Zahid, while talking about the rights of women to property, also made the women facing the current flood situation in the country the focus of her conversation. She said that the burden of responsibilities on the flood-affected women has increased.

"Owing to different reasons, they cannot leave their homes. They must stay where they are. The United Nations Population Fund has informed that almost 650,000 pregnant women in flood-affected areas in Pakistan. Women need to be equipped with life-saving skills and effective policies are needed to be put in place to empower them," she opined.

Haya Zahid said that the recent floods may change their future. "We have to turn the climatic changes into opportunities, keeping in view the improvement of the women. We along with Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy have made five documentaries on women's right to property," she disclosed.

Referring to the difficulties being faced by women in the judicial system, MPA Shamim Mumtaz said that especially the cases related to property continue for a long time. "Women face many problems in the endless journey of cases," she added, stressing the importance of establishing speedy courts for the purpose.

Anis Haroon, a member of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), said that their women are brave. "It is necessary to fill up the gap in the 'system' and remove the hurdles to empower them. It has become inevitable to formulate a policy and implement it," she opined.

Now Communities Executive Director Farhat Parveen, Adnan Khaskheli of the Sindh Human Rights Commission and Chandan Kumar of the NCHR also expressed similar views.

Expressing his opinion, Syed Anwar Haider clarified that women's capacity-building is the basic thing that can be possible by providing education. He said that it is also a fact that women have been empowered with the passage of time. "Women holding the posts of deputy commissioner and joining the ranks of distinction in other walks of life is a good example in this regard."

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy's documentary and animated films have not only highlighted women's issues in a unique and qualitative way but have also played a key role in resolving these issues. Sharmeen said that the work of SOC films is also being presented in schools. "Documentary and animated films have established their influence on women. I talk about the topics to be seen. Animated characters are discussed in homes, families, and neighbourhood. Meaningful conversation and expression of one's opinion and thoughts are igniting confidence-building among women. Documentaries based on women's rights in property are a sequel in this regard," she observed.

On behalf of the LAS, Hunza Moin informed the meeting about the ongoing project on women's right to legal property in Sindh. Uroosa Khatti also participated in the discussion. At the end of the programme, the smile on the women's faces was giving a life to the efforts made in favour of them.