Yomna Al-Zubairi – Women in Development and Peace

  

In Yemen, government institutions have played an important role in various aspects of life since their establishment. These institutions are considered a cornerstone for achieving development and stability in the country. These institutions are responsible for providing basic services to citizens, such as education, health, security, justice, transportation, electricity, water, and others. Government institutions contribute to this by providing job opportunities, creating development projects, supporting companies and institutions, and supporting the national economy. In addition to strengthening the rule of law by enforcing laws and regulations and ensuring justice among members of society.

To ensure that these institutions fully fulfill their role, it is necessary to enhance the participation and work of all segments of society, including women. Their work in government institutions will contribute to promoting gender equality and stimulating economic growth. However, despite all of this, women in government institutions throughout Yemen still face many challenges. These challenges include gender bias, lack of support and training for women, and the absence of many role models of women in leadership positions in government institutions.

Following all of this, the Information and Polling Unit at “Yemen Information Center” conducted a survey entitled “Women in Government Roles” which aimed to explore the opinions of a representative sample of Yemeni society about the main challenges facing women’s work in government institutions, and how to enhance their presence and achieve effective participation in these sectors.

(113) people participated in this survey from various parts of Yemen, with women representing the largest proportion of participants at 83.2% compared to 16.8% for men. The age groups of the participants varied, with the age group between 26-35 years representing 47.8% of the participants, while the age group between 36-45 years represented 33.6%. 10.6% of the age group between 46-65 years and 8% of the age group between 18-25 years participated.

In terms of education, those with a bachelor’s degree were the most represented group at 31%, followed by university students at 28.3%, 28.3% with higher degrees, and 12.4% with a high school diploma.

The survey included 16 Yemeni governorates, with Sana’a having the highest percentage of participants at 49.6%. It was followed by Taiz at 10.6%, Aden at 10.6%, Hadhramaut at 5.3%, and Ibb at 5.1%. 4.4% also participated from Al-Hodeida, 1.8% from Marib, 1.8% from Lahj, 1.8% from Shabwa, 1.8% from Al-Dhali’, 1.8% from Al-Mahwt, 1.8% from Dhamar, 0.9% from Al-Baydha, 0.9% from Mahra, 0.9% from Al-Jawf, 0.9% from Rayma.

 

Key Findings

The survey results reveal that 77% of the participants believe that the presence of women in Yemeni government institutions is significant, while 12.4% believe that their presence is limited. Only 10.6% of the participants said that their presence in these institutions is moderate.

The survey also indicates that the vast majority of participants (88.5%) believe that women working in Yemeni government institutions face numerous challenges. The most prominent of these challenges, from their perspective, are:

• Gender discrimination:8% of participants believe that women face discrimination in the workplace.
• Lack of opportunities:64% of the participants believe that women do not have equal opportunities with men for promotion and development.
• Absence of a safe and supportive environment:9% of participants believe that women do not feel safe or supported in the work environment.
• Limited support:3% of participants believe that women do not receive sufficient support from their colleagues and supervisors at work.
• Difficulty balancing work and family life:4% of participants believe that women face difficulty balancing their work responsibilities with their family obligations.

 

Conversely, 10.6% of the participants believe that women working in Yemeni government institutions do not face any challenges, and only 0.9% of the participants do not have a specific opinion on this topic.

When discussing the equality of women and men in terms of work opportunities and development in Yemeni government institutions, 68.1% believe that they are equal, and 25.7% believe the opposite. The remaining 6.2% said they have no idea whether women’s work opportunities in government institutions are equal to those of men.

Regarding women’s representation in leadership positions, 67.2% of survey participants believe that there is sufficient representation of women in leadership positions in Yemeni government institutions. 30.1% believe that this representation is inadequate, and only 2.7% of participants do not have a specific opinion on this matter.

The survey participants identified a range of factors that contribute to strengthening women’s participation in government institutions. Their responses were as follows:

• The existence of laws protecting women’s rights:6% of the participants stated that the existence of laws protecting women’s rights is an important factor in promoting their participation in government work.
• The availability of training and development programs for women:8% of participants expressed significant interest in the availability of training and development programs that help women acquire the skills and experience necessary for success in government work.
• Allocating a budget to support women’s empowerment programs:1% of participants believe that allocating a budget to support women’s empowerment programs is essential to ensure their active participation in all areas of government work.
• Flexible working hours:2% of participants considered flexible working hours to help encourage women to participate in government work, as it allows them to balance their family and professional responsibilities.

 

In conclusion, the survey participants emphasized the importance of strengthening women’s participation in government institutions by increasing the available work opportunities for them. They believe that this will contribute to achieving several benefits, including promoting diversity and inclusivity in these institutions and improving the quality of services provided to citizens. Participants also stressed the need to take concrete steps to increase women’s work opportunities in government institutions by promoting sustainable development and creating a more just and prosperous society.