Breaking Chains and Building Empires: Unleashing Women's Potential through Education for Property Rights in Malakand Division, Pakistan

Abstract

This study investigates the transformative impact of women's education on property rights in Malakand Division, Pakistan, with a focus on the historically marginalized Pakhtun society. Drawing from global perspectives, Islamic principles, and local contexts, the research explores how education empowers women to assert their legal rights, particularly in inheritance. The study addresses a significant gap in the literature by examining the nuanced relationship between education, women's empowerment, and property rights in a region where traditional norms have historically influenced women's rights. Utilizing a quantitative cross-sectional research design, the study employs a stratified random sampling technique to survey 700 married women with a minimum of 16 years of education actively asserting their property rights across seven districts in Malakand Division. The comprehensive data analysis using SPSS reveals a strong positive association between education and women's empowerment in property rights, supported by descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and regression models. The study concludes that education plays a pivotal role in shaping women's attitudes and actions regarding property rights, positively impacting confidence, awareness of legal procedures, and active participation in asserting ownership rights. The findings have broad implications for policy-making, emphasizing the need for targeted educational initiatives, awareness campaigns, community engagement programs, gender-inclusive property policies, capacity-building, and stakeholder collaboration to foster gender equality, justice, and empowerment in property rights for women in Malakand Division, Pakistan.