What changes has NADRA introduced in women's identity cards and registration?
"After marriage, women will be allowed to choose whether to retain their father's name on their identity cards or to write their husband's name instead."
The statement was issued two days ago after the National Registration Authority of Pakistan (NADRA) reviewed policies to increase women's registration. However, women on social media seem to be asking the question, what change has been introduced through this policy?
If one looks at the messages of the users on social media, one can gauge the ambiguity regarding the identity rights of women in the country. Singer Mesha Shafi says, "There was no obstacle for her not to change her name on the ID card after marriage." But write the name of your ex-husband.
NADRA Chairman Muhammad Tariq Malik told the Janisports: "We have now given them full authority in their name to empower women, ensure their every right including registration and inheritance. If they want, they should not change their name even after marriage and if they separate from their husband, then they have the option to change the name of their own free will and no one should ask them why and what they did. '
According to him, the current policy of NADRA is to discourage social discrimination against women in all cases.
Has NADRA's rights for women changed?
Tariq Malik admits that it was a "unannounced" policy of NADRA that when a woman came to change her name after a divorce, she was asked for a divorce certificate and other confirmation documents.
According to her, many women were fed up with such questions and did not turn to NADRA. But now they want to find out the reasons behind the 'low registration of women as compared to men' in the country and also to address the factors that hinder this process.
According to him, at present there are 55 million men and 45 million women registered in Pakistan, which makes it seem that there are probably more men than women in Pakistan, which is not true.
He says that this difference is visible everywhere but now NADRA has arranged such facilities for women that they can easily register at home and on their call NADRA car in which women The staff will arrive at their home.
Significant increase in rural women's registration
According to Tariq Malik, women's registration has increased by 40% in the last 100 days, with 80% of women coming from rural areas.
According to him, keeping in view the cultural sensitivities, NADRA has set up two centers for registration of female staff in Mardan and Peshawar where all from the data operator to the manager are women. Such centers will be set up in other areas as well.
"We have set up a collective registration department at NADRA, headed by a woman," he said. According to Tariq Malik, NADRA has now mobilized women to facilitate the registration of not only women but also eunuchs and minorities.
According to the Chairman NADRA, in areas where registration was low, the registration process has been taken forward in collaboration with local and international organizations. "If women do not register, they will not be able to benefit from health, education and awareness programs, nor will they be able to report domestic violence."
A social worker registered 5,000 Hindu women According to NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik, a social worker in Jacobabad, Sindh, helped NADRA register, 5,000 Hindu women." Now, these women will be able to make the whole journey from name to property and from work to voting right with their identity."
According to Tariq Malik, NADRA has now launched a campaign against men who do not allow women to register so that they cannot share in the inheritance. "Now such men are receiving messages from NADRA to ensure registration of all women in their family as soon as possible."
Now women can also confirm that their husband has not had a secret marriage?
According to NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik, while giving public access to public data, NADRA has also introduced a service from which one can get complete information on 8009 to verify his family. According to him, NADRA has so far completed the process of verification of 40 million families.
According to her, women can now find out from this service that their spouse has not secretly married anyone else.