For generations, Waqf has helped people by funding education, healthcare and jobs. However, many women have not received its benefits because they had limited access to resources and decision-making. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to change this. It brings new rules to ensure Muslim women get their rightful share of inheritance, financial support and a stronger role in managing Waqf properties.

One of the biggest changes in the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, of 2025, is the protection of women’s inheritance rights in family Waqf (Waqf-alal-aulad). The Bill states that no one can dedicate property to Waqf unless female heirs have first received their rightful inheritance.

This prevents families from using Waqf as a way to deny women their share of property. Section 3A(2) makes sure that women are not unfairly left out when Waqf properties are created. The Bill also expands the purpose of Waqf-alal-aulad to provide financial support to widows, divorced women, and orphans.

Section 3(r)(iv) allows Waqf funds to be used for their welfare and maintenance. This will provide economic security to women and children in need, following Islamic principles of welfare and justice.

Another major change in the Bill is increasing women’s role in Waqf governance. It ensures that two Muslim women must be included in State Waqf Boards (Section 14) and the Central Waqf Council (Section 9).

This means women will now have a voice in deciding how Waqf resources are used and managed. Having more women in Waqf governance will help ensure that funds are spent on important needs like scholarships for Muslim girls, healthcare and maternity support, skill training and microfinance for women entrepreneurs and legal help for inheritance and domestic violence cases.

The Bill also focuses on making Waqf fairer by fixing past inequalities. By giving women decision-making power and financial security, it creates a more balanced and just Waqf system.

In addition, the Bill promotes setting up vocational training centres and self-help groups (SHGs) to help Muslim women become financially independent. These centres will offer training in fields like healthcare, business and fashion design, helping women find jobs or start their businesses.

A key reform in the Bill is the digitisation of Waqf records. Digital records will improve transparency, prevent corruption and ensure that Waqf money is used properly. This is especially important for women, as it guarantees that funds meant for their welfare are not misused.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, of 2025, is a big step toward making Waqf a tool for social welfare and justice. By securing inheritance rights, helping widows and divorced women, increasing women’s role in governance and promoting economic independence, the bill aims to create long-term gender equality in the Waqf administration.

These reforms will open new doors for Muslim women, making sure that Waqf truly supports their progress and empowerment in the years to come.

Further, Waqf has always been meant to help the community by providing education, healthcare, housing and support for the poor.

However, problems like mismanagement, corruption and inefficiency have often prevented Waqf properties from benefiting those who need them most.

One big problem in Waqf management was lack of transparency, leading to corruption and misuse of funds.

The new Bill introduces a digital portal to record all Waqf properties, making it easier to track and audit them.

This ensures that funds are not misused and are spent on helping the poor.

With mandatory financial audits and digital records, this change will reduce corruption and make Waqf management more accountable to the people.

The Bill ensures that Waqf properties and funds are used to improve healthcare services for the poor.

This includes, setting up clinics and hospitals on Waqf lands to provide free or low-cost healthcare, partnering with charities to fund medical aid programs and making medicines and essential treatments more available in poor areas.

With better management, more people will get access to healthcare, reducing medical costs and improving public health.

Education is a key way to fight poverty. The Bill ensures that Waqf funds are used for —  building and maintaining schools and madrassas, providing scholarships and financial aid to poor students and supporting vocational training centres to teach job skills.

By focusing on education, the Bill helps people from poor backgrounds get better jobs and improve their lives.

Many poor people struggle with housing. The Bill allows Waqf Boards to use properties for affordable housing. Section 32(4) permits building low-cost housing for the poor providing shelters for homeless people and creating subsidised rental programs for low-income families.

This ensures that Waqf properties are used to help people instead of being left unused or taken over illegally.

Helping people become financially independent is important for reducing poverty. The Bill supports setting up training centers for skills like carpentry, tailoring and digital literacy, providing small loans to help people start businesses, connecting trained workers with jobs, this approach helps people earn a living rather than relying only on charity.

A major issue with Waqf properties is illegal occupation. According to the WAMSI portal, nearly 58,898 Waqf properties have been taken over unlawfully.

The Bill introduces stronger legal measures to reclaim illegally occupied Waqf lands for social welfare projects, give district collectors more power to protect Waqf properties and prevent unauthorised claims that take away resources meant for the poor.

These steps will ensure that Waqf properties are used properly to help those in need. The Bill also ensures fairness and inclusivity, making sure aid reaches all communities in need.

It prioritises poor people and uses data to make better decisions about Waqf resources. Additionally, the Bill includes measures to prevent disputes over land belonging to non-Muslims, so that welfare efforts are not disrupted. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is not just about managing properties — it is about making Waqf a strong tool for helping the poor.

By increasing transparency, stopping corruption, improving healthcare and education, providing affordable housing and supporting employment, the Bill ensures that Waqf serves its true purpose.

These reforms will help Waqf fulfil its original mission-supporting the underprivileged and creating a fairer and more just society.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is a transformative step toward equity and justice in Waqf management. By safeguarding women’s inheritance rights, expanding support for widows and orphans and ensuring female representation in governance, the Bill strengthens gender equality.

It promotes transparency through digitised records, combats corruption and empowers communities through healthcare, education, housing and employment initiatives.

With legal measures to reclaim illegally occupied lands and ensure inclusive welfare, the Bill restores Waqf’s original mission — supporting the underprivileged.

These comprehensive reforms make Waqf a more accountable, accessible and powerful instrument for social upliftment and long-term community development.

(The writer is founder President Om Aarohanam Sansthan (Janani Suraksha Yojana) and a BJP functionary. Views expressed are personal)