Education, Awareness, and Exclusion: Women's Perceptions of Landed Inheritance in Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan.

Rozina Begum

Abstract

This study explores women's perceptions and awareness of their landed inheritance in Hunza, focusing on how cultural norms, institutional barriers, and socialization shape control over property. Drawing on a qualitative, phenomenological approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten women with higher degrees, aged 29 to 46, to capture their lived experiences and subjective meanings associated with inheritance. Thematic analysis revealed five interconnected themes: limited legal awareness, internalized patriarchal norms, restricted authority over land, dislocation from natal and marital homes, and the link between land ownership and economic autonomy. Findings indicate that, despite rising levels of female education, women's understanding of inheritance rights is constrained by entrenched social expectations and intimidating, male-dominated bureaucratic processes. Land emerged not only as an economic resource but also as a marker of identity, belonging, and protection from vulnerability, particularly in cases of divorce or widowhood. Guided by socialist feminist theory, the study highlights how patriarchal and institutional structures intersect to limit women's effective control over inherited property. The findings underscore that legal provisions alone are insufficient; meaningful change requires cultural transformation, institutional reform, and awareness initiatives that enable women to translate knowledge of rights into tangible control.