KPJA AND THE AWAKENING PARTNER TO ADVANCE GENDER-RESPONSIVE ADJUDICATION AND WOMEN'S INHERITANCE RIGHTS IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA (OCTOBER 31, 2026)

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy (KPJA), Peshawar, and non-profit organization The Awakening, located in Saidu Sharif, District Swat, have entered into a one-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative framework aimed at strengthening gender-responsive adjudication, institutional ethics, and legal literacy across the justice sector. The formal agreement was executed by Muhammad Shoaib, Senior Director of Research and Publications at KPJA (on behalf of Director General Kalim Arshad Khan), and Neelam Rahim, Chairperson of The Awakening (on behalf of Executive Director Erfaan Hussein Babak).

Under this strategic partnership, funded through The Awakening's United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) project, the two institutions will design and deliver specialized training workshops focusing on women’s land and inheritance rights, family law, gender-responsive adjudication, and access to justice for female litigants. The initiatives will also include orientation sessions for court staff to ensure a gender-sensitive, conducive, and accessible environment for women seeking justice. 

Beyond legal training, the collaboration incorporates joint research projects in judicial studies, legal awareness campaigns for local communities, and the promotion of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as mediation to resolve disputes amicably. KPJA will provide specialized training facilities, subject-matter experts, and institutional resources, while The Awakening manages logistics, materials, and community outreach. Both institutions have appointed dedicated focal persons to ensure seamless communication and ongoing program coordination throughout the duration of the project.