Social and Cultural Challenges to Women's Property and Inheritance: A Study of District Dir Lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

4 Abstract: The major emphasis of this research study is to know about various social and cultural challenges concerning women's property and inheritance among Pakhtuns of District Dir Lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Stratified random sampling method has been used and the overall population has been divided into two strata on the basis of age and education i.e. age of twenty (20) years and below forty (40) years while education was at least graduation. In this context, the actual population of the target community i.e. consists of 38222 (Census Report 1998) both males and females whereas 52 percent that makes a total of 19875 members were male while females constitute 48 percent (18346) of the whole population. The ratio of graduate male members is 4 percent while that of female members is 2 percent thus a total sample size i.e. 200 were selected for interview (120 from males and 80 females) in a face to face conservation in order to collect the in-depth information. All the respondents were thoroughly interviewed in face to face, well managed and organized atmosphere and suitable environment. The collected information has been passed through quantification i.e. tabulation, frequencies and percentages of different variables, explanation and have been tested and verified with the application of Chi-Square test. The data indicate that female has been deprived of their property rights due social, cultural and traditional reasons.