Women in Distress and Detention Fund Act, 1996 (Repealed by Act XVI of 2020)

This 1996 Act established a dedicated Fund to provide financial and legal assistance to women in distress and detention -- defined as women needing financial help due to detention, litigation, or similar hardship. Note that this Act has since been repealed by Act XVI of 2020, so it no longer represents current law, though the extract describes its original provisions.

Section 3 required the Federal Government to establish the Fund, and Section 4 set its purpose as providing financial and legal assistance to women in distress and detention. Section 5 listed the Fund's sources: government grants (federal and provincial), aid from local, national and international agencies, contributions from statutory bodies, corporations, private organisations and individuals, income from the Fund's own property, and (added later) investment income. Unused amounts didn't lapse at year-end and remained available, and the Fund's capital could be invested in government savings schemes with the returns used for the Fund's purposes.

Section 6 vested management of the Fund in a Board of Governors, whose composition was updated by a 2018 amendment to include the Minister-in-charge of the relevant Division as Chairperson, one woman member each from the National Assembly and Senate, the Division's Secretary, one woman social worker nominated by each provincial government, and a senior officer (BS-20 or above) as Member-cum-Secretary. Board members (other than ex-officio ones) served three-year terms, renewable, and the Board could co-opt additional persons and appoint an executive committee.

Section 7 gave the Board power to disburse the Fund among women in distress and detention, appoint staff, and manage the Fund's property. Section 8 exempted Fund contributions and donations from income tax, wealth tax, and Zakat deduction. Section 9 required the Fund's accounts to be audited by the Auditor-General and laid before the National Assembly, with periodic reports to the Federal Government. Section 11 allowed the Board to make its own rules.

Because this Act has been repealed (by Act XVI of 2020), readers should be aware its provisions are historical and no longer in force; any current mechanism for supporting women in distress and detention would now be governed by whatever replaced it.