Women in Development and Peace – Alia Mohammed

The conflict in Yemen poses significant challenges to women’s economic empowerment. This necessitates humanitarian and developmental interventions from international organizations and civil society groups, aimed at empowering women and improving their economic status. As a result, both international and local organizations in Yemen play a vital role in shaping economic and social policies to support women and enhance their role in sustainable development. They achieve this by providing essential financial and technical support for implementing these projects.

The importance of international organizations’ role in this context lies in enhancing women’s capacities and economic development, as well as creating opportunities for them in the job market. Among the projects supported by international organizations to economically empower Yemeni women are providing microloans to rural women for establishing their own ventures and offering training and professional qualifications to increase employment opportunities across various economic sectors. Additionally, these organizations strive to promote women’s rights in the workplace and encourage gender equality in economic opportunities.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is one of the most important international organizations that has provided support for women’s empowerment through several programs implemented in partnership with Yemeni civil society organizations.

The organization has equipped Yemeni women with special projects aimed at enhancing their capacity to own and successfully operate their own businesses. The Economic Recovery and Development Program strengthened women’s and girls’ access to essential services and provided employment opportunities during emergencies and income-generating opportunities. Additionally, the organization has offered sustainable long-term developmental solutions that have empowered women and opened up new sectors for them.

In a related context, CARE International organization has worked in Yemen to implement programs aimed at poverty reduction and social justice. Operating in 12 Yemeni governorates, CARE has provided assistance during emergencies and focused its programs across various sectors, with a particular emphasis on economic empowerment. Furthermore, the European Union (EU) has been a global leader in promoting gender equality in Yemen.

The European Union has placed special emphasis on empowering women and enhancing their integration in all areas, from education to healthcare, and from economic flexibility to climate adaptation. The Union highlighted the importance of empowering Yemeni women in its 2024 report titled “Empowering Yemeni Women Makes a Difference.”

The report explained that empowering women is crucial for building resilient communities that can withstand crises; as women are a driving force for local development and economic resilience, it is important to open up opportunities for women’s capabilities and potential for the common good.

The European Union praised Yemeni women in every home, farm, school, hospital, private and public institution, who continue to strive to ensure the well-being of their families and communities despite all the challenges they face, emphasizing that the role of Yemeni women is key to the resilience of their communities in the face of crises.

The Role of Civil Society Organizations

The civil society plays a vital and effective role in promoting women’s economic empowerment. It contributes to providing the necessary support for launching women’s empowerment projects, building their economic initiatives, and enhancing their practical skills.

Civil society organizations are among the most important active entities that provide Yemeni women with new opportunities to improve their participation in the economic sector. Several civil society organizations have offered financial, technical, and training support to women, helping raise awareness about gender equality issues and their economic and social rights. Through this support, women are encouraged to participate in decision-making related to their financial independence.

Tamdeen Youth Foundation serves as a model for effective Yemeni civil society organizations in women’s economic empowerment. The foundation has implemented several economic empowerment projects in Yemen. Notably, the Economic Empowerment Program for Women assisted 200 women under the age of 35 in establishing small-scale projects.

Additionally, the Rural Resilience Project established 375 individual projects for 375 young women in the governorates of Abyan and Taiz. The project also trained 50 coastal women in the cities of Khawkha and Al Hodeida in skills such as fishing net weaving, incense and perfume production, and provided them with tools to start their small businesses.

Furthermore, the foundation implemented a project to support the empowerment of young women for improved livelihoods. This project trained 280 young women in dairy production, beekeeping, sewing, and embroidery. It also provided financial grants to 175 beneficiaries. Additionally, the foundation executed a women’s empowerment project in the fishing sector in Aden. The project aimed to train and qualify 50 women from vulnerable groups in fishing communities in Fuqum, Ras Amran, and Al-Khaisa in Al-Buraiqa district of Aden. The training covered fishing net weaving, seafood preparation, business management, and the provision of necessary tools for these women to establish their small-scale projects.

Husain Al-Suhaily, the founder of Tamdeen Youth Foundation, asserts that the foundation has played a pioneering role in economically empowering women in Yemen. They have achieved this by implementing various projects and programs aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial skills. The foundation provides intensive training in entrepreneurship and small project management, following the methodologies of the International Labor Organization (ILO). Additionally, they offer financial grants to women for establishing their own projects, contributing to the creation of new job opportunities and improving their livelihoods.

The foundation has organized professional training programs to develop women’s skills in various fields, including dairy production, sewing, embroidery, hairdressing, confectionery, beekeeping, incense production, fishing net weaving, and phone maintenance. Technical support, monitoring, guidance, and counseling are provided to ensure the success and growth of women’s projects. The foundation also strives to connect women’s products with local markets, facilitating effective marketing and profit generation.

Al-Suhaily emphasizes the critical importance of women’s economic empowerment in Yemen. He states that it is fundamental for achieving social justice, sustainable development, peace, and stability in a country deeply affected by conflict. Women-owned businesses are key drivers of economic growth and job creation. Empowering women entrepreneurs can have a positive and significant impact on the country’s economy and society as a whole.

However, the process of women’s economic empowerment in Yemen faces several challenges. These include high poverty rates, which burden families and limit women’s participation in economic activities. Amid the conflict, women have suffered from job losses, displacement, and reduced government attention to women’s economic projects. Another challenge is the lack of a unified strategy that brings together all institutions and organizations concerned with women’s economic empowerment in Yemen, as well as insufficient coordination and integration efforts.

Al-Suhaily concludes by stating, “Excluding half of society from the labor market and decision-making is foolish, as it perpetuates discrimination against women. Therefore, all relevant stakeholders in Yemen must work together to ensure women’s economic empowerment and achieve social justice.”

In a related context, the General Union of Yemeni Women is one of the effective civil society organizations in promoting women’s civil rights and economic empowerment. Since its establishment, the union has played a crucial role in empowering Yemeni women and improving their status within society. They offer various purposeful services, economic empowerment projects, including microloans for women, vocational training programs, and healthcare services. The union continues to expand its work, providing further support to Yemeni women across different governorates.

Sawsan Al-Shaddadi, Director of Economic Empowerment Projects at the General Union of Yemeni Women, emphasizes that economic empowerment is one of the most important projects that serve women. The General Union of Yemeni Women strives to empower women, support their capacities, and enable them to actively contribute to sustainable development based on their experiences and competencies. The goal is for women to become essential partners in economic, social, and cultural development.

The General Union of Yemeni Women owns more than 13 empowerment spaces across governorates, where women are trained, their needs are studied, and they are empowered to own their own projects.

However, civil society organizations face significant challenges that hinder their continued engagement in economic empowerment projects. These challenges include insufficient funding and support for implementing various empowerment initiatives, as well as difficulties in obtaining technical and consultative support and market saturation.

Recommendations

Al-Suhaily highlights that opportunities for women’s economic empowerment are available through the development of a strategy involving all relevant stakeholders: government entities, institutions, organizations, and the private sector. Clear indicators should be established to measure progress in this field.

The focus should be on Yemen’s national strategy for women’s economic empowerment, emphasizing support for women’s entrepreneurship, providing education and training opportunities, ensuring financial services for women, and supporting women-owned economic projects—especially in conflict-affected areas. Sufficient budget allocation from the government is crucial to support women’s empowerment programs across various business and economic sectors nationwide.

The private sector should also contribute by providing employment opportunities and training for women. Civil society plays a vital role in raising awareness about the importance of women’s empowerment. Economic initiatives should support women in the workforce, accompanied by long-term efforts to address social, economic, and cultural structures that have limited women’s participation. Achieving genuine economic empowerment for Yemeni women can lead to a better future for all.