Women farmers seek land ownership

Women farmers from different parts of the country gathered in front of the National Press Club to highlight the discrimination being meted out to them, said a press release issued by ActionAid Pakistan.

They said that they produce more than 60% food for Pakistan, but collectively own just 2% of the land.

“Women work hard in the field to produced food for all but they are not acknowledged as farmers. Women farmers are not rewarded back for the labour input and even there is no share for them in the crop,” said Nazeeran Jemali from Balochistan.

Nasir Aziz of ActionAid Pakistan said landlords, bureaucrats, policy makers and parliamentarians do not like the idea of awarding land rights to women, hence the discrimination.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2012.