AWARENESS SEMINAR ON WOMEN’S PROPERTY RIGHTS & HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT THE WORKPLACE AT FATIMA JINNAH MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

An awareness seminar was organized in collaboration with Ombudsperson Department, Government of the Punjab and Quality Enhancement Cell of Fatima Jinnah Medical University regarding Women’s Property Rights and Harassment of Women at Workplace.

Ms. Nabila Hakim Ali Khan Ombudsperson Punjab graced the occasion as a Chief Guest. Secretary Provincial Ombudsperson Punjab Ms. Saima Sadiq and Advisers Provincial Ombudsperson Punjab Mr. Sibtul Hasan and Mr. Shahid Raza were also present.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Khalid Masood Gondal welcomed all the distinguished guests.

Pro-Chancellor Prof. Kamran Khalid Khawaja, Registrar Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nadeem, Principal Prof. Noreen Akmal, Dean Basic Sciences and Undergraduate Prof. Munazza Iqbal, Director Quality Enhancement Cell/Dean Nursing Prof. Bilquis Shabbir, faculty members and a large number of students participated.

The main objective of the seminar was to create awareness about Women’s Property Rights and Harassment of Women at Workplace.

Vice Chancellor Professor Khalid Masood Gondal, in his address, thanked the distinguished guests for their arrival. He said that women are the main asset of our country and protection of women’s rights is our top priority. Fatima Jinnah Medical University, the only medical institution for women in Pakistan, came into existence soon after the establishment of Pakistan. Islam has given rights to women which no other religion has given. In Islam, women in every form, whether they are mothers, sisters, wives or daughters, are blessings. Allah Almighty has empowered women. The sacrifices of women in our society are unprecedented. Women play an important role in every field of life, so educated women are very important for building a nation.

Nabila Hakim Ali Khan Ombudsperson Punjab, in her address, thanked the Vice Chancellor Professor Khalid Masood Gondal and Faculty of Fatima Jinnah Medical University. She gave a detailed briefing to the participants regarding “Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010 and Punjab Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act 2021”.

She said that share in property is the basic right of women and the Punjab Government has implemented the Punjab Enforcement of Women Property Rights Act 2021 to give women a share in property and to protect their ownership rights. Deprivation is a serious crime. She said that under Sharia and Land Law, women have a share in the inheritance, but in our society, women are given their share but they are not given possession. Their rights are forcibly violated. She said that we all should discourage the tendency of disenfranchising the women, as Islam does not discriminate in the distribution of property. She said that the Ombudsperson Punjab has the authority to enforce its decisions and the police, revenue and other concerned departments are bound to help comply with the orders of the Ombudsperson to protect the property rights of women. It is very important to convince the society to give women their legitimate rights to ensure inheritance and other rights.

A question and answer session was also held in the seminar in which questions were asked on various topics by the participants and students.

At the end of the seminar, Vice Chancellor Professor Khalid Masood Gondal distributed souvenirs to Nabila Hakim Ali Khan Ombudsperson Punjab, Secretary Provincial Ombudsperson Punjab Ms. Saima Sadiq and Advisers Provincial Ombudsperson Punjab Mr. Sibtul Hasan and Mr. Shahid Raza.