Women’s Commission to Launch Awareness Campaign on Land and Property Rights

Shimla, June 18: Chairperson of the Himachal Pradesh State Women Commission, Vidya Negi, announced that the Commission will organize awareness camps across the state to educate women about their land and property rights. She was addressing a workshop based on a study conducted by the Parvatiya Mahila Vikas Trust (PMVT) on women’s land rights in Kangra district.

The study, which surveyed 302 respondents across 10 panchayats, revealed significant gender disparities in property ownership and inheritance. According to the findings, 76 percent of houses are owned by men, while only 18 percent are registered in women’s names. The report also found that 32 percent of respondents believe ancestral property should primarily pass to sons, compared to just 13 percent who favored daughters as primary heirs.

The study highlighted low levels of legal awareness, with 67 percent of women unable to read or understand land-related documents and only 4 percent having attended any awareness programme on land rights. It also pointed to challenges faced by women from Scheduled Tribe communities, climate-related impacts on land ownership, and social pressures that often prevent women from exercising their legal rights.

Speaking at the workshop, Vidya Negi emphasized that land and property ownership are not only economic assets but also key to dignity, security, and self-reliance. She said greater awareness, legal literacy, and social change are essential to ensure women receive equal rights in family property and inheritance.