Women in Development and Peace – Yasmine Abdulhafeez
Women in Yemen face a dual battle against violence. The ongoing conflict imposes immense burdens on their lives, exacerbating their suffering, while customs and traditions further deprive them of their rights, freedom, and safety. The conflict also worsens poverty and unemployment within the community, adding pressure on women and making them more vulnerable to violence.
Samah Ali (a pseudonym) was unable to refuse her father’s decision to marry her off to her older cousin. In less than a month, she was wed and moved to another city to live with her husband, who promised that she could continue her education as per her condition before marriage.
Samah, who is 12 years old, faced various forms of physical and psychological violence. She couldn’t pursue the education that she had envisioned for her future and dreams. Her married life didn’t turn out stable, contrary to what her father had assured her when arranging the marriage, as he sought a portion of her dowry.
Samah says, “I never dreamed of anything other than completing my education, attending university, and choosing a suitable major so I could work for my family and my future. However, my father was not honest with me. He didn’t encourage me or stand by my goals to achieve them.”
She adds, “I married a man who beats me every day. He constantly looks for reasons to demean, insult, and humiliate me. He always locks the door before leaving and doesn’t return until a long time has passed. He prevents me from communicating with my family. He doesn’t sit with me or sleep beside me as if he married me to torment me.
Iman Ahmad (a pseudonym) is another woman who has faced violence in various forms. She is the only girl among six brothers. Her husband passed away, leaving her with three children. Her brothers refused to give her her rightful inheritance. She repeatedly requested her share but to no avail. Even after relatives intervened to resolve her issue, the customs and traditions of her family prohibit giving inheritance to females. They believe that only men are entitled to it.
Iman says, “After my husband’s death, I became a destitute widow with the stigma of shame following me because I live in an unforgiving society. I faced difficulty securing safe housing for myself and my children after being thrown out of my father’s house. Being alone, I was subjected to various harassment by certain individuals, such as intimidation late at night, being harassed with phone numbers scribbled on papers thrown at me, and being subjected to insulting remarks whenever I left the house or returned. I felt scared and unsafe. To avoid this, I stayed indoors for long periods to prevent any harassment in a society that views a woman living without a male guardian as ‘easy’ and vulnerable to assault.”
Amal’s story isn’t much different from Iman’s and Samah’s. Her father refused to go to the police station to file a complaint against her husband who continuously beats her, or even to hire a lawyer because he believed it would encourage other girls in the family to rebel against their husbands.
One neighbor, who refused to be named, says: “Her husband would beat her whenever she made any mistake, or even when he was upset, or when he came home from work frustrated, or when he had a fight with his family at home. This has been happening ever since they got married. It doesn’t matter what time it is, even if it’s late at night. Many neighbors have spoken to him about his abuse, but he refuses to talk to them and prevents them from discussing his problems with his family.”
She continues, “Once, he tried to strangle her because she was late in opening the door. It was dawn. We were all terrified, including our children, when we were woken up by her screams. My husband tried to call out to him and plead with him to leave her, but he closed the window, took her to another room, and beat her. We could hear her screams.”
On the social dimensions of gender-based violence, Riham Mohammed Al-Radai, a social worker, says: “Violence against women has far-reaching consequences for society as a whole, not just for women. Ignorance is one of its main causes, and it has two faces: the ignorance of the abuser and the ignorance of the abused. This means that women are not equipped with education, culture, and awareness to confront this violence. Instead, they accept it as an inevitable reality that they must endure.”
She adds, “Misinterpretations of religion and its teachings, the absence of social and legal education institutions, and male dominance supported by misguided customs and traditions all contribute significantly to the issue.” She believes that laws should be enacted to ensure compulsory education for girls, eliminate early marriage, and raise awareness about women’s rights in educational institutions, particularly through school curriculums.
The Expansion of the Circle of Violence Among Women
Harmful customs and traditions have fueled the spread of violence against women and girls in Yemen for a long time, especially in areas where women are still left behind in education and ignorance is widespread. This ignorance has led them to be unaware of their rights and how to protect themselves. They haven’t realized how these customs and traditions plant the seeds of a violent culture toward women, who are the most vulnerable to societal norms and the stigma of shame.
This was confirmed by Amat Allah Abdallah, a human rights activist, who said, “Wrong customs and traditions have widened the scope of violence against women. They have strengthened the principle of a man’s right to control and dominate women, making violence justifiable in the eyes of the man.”
She continued, “One of the societal norms is to prevent women from going out or working, with the belief that their place is at home and they have no right to anything else. This has only amplified the violence against them, forcing them to stay silent and accept their reality to avoid violence and beatings, which society views as a result of shame or disgrace.”
The Culture of Shame
Safia Mansoor (pseudonym)’s suffering lies in not being allowed to visit a psychiatrist due to fear of the community’s perception of her. There is a prevailing view that considers a woman going to mental health centers as crazy and possessed, and not suitable for marriage and starting a family.
Safia lives in one of the rural areas in Yemen in Taiz Governorate, which suffers from a lack of health services from health facilities, and she comes from a conservative family where the thinking of its members is linked to the culture of a place characterized by ignorance, and its members suffer from deprivation of education.
Safia says: “I constantly feel tightness and fear for no reason, and sometimes I think about finding an easy way to die and feel like crying. I experience many symptoms. During my childhood, I lived with many fears, including constant quarrels between my parents, who were not in agreement and my mother always went to my grandfather’s house after my father beat her and kicked her out of the house, and I used to go with my siblings to the lower rooms of the house.”
She continued: “I started feeling many symptoms since then, and I feel that my health has deteriorated significantly, so I told my brother how I feel, and asked him to accompany me to travel to the city and visit a psychiatrist but he refused, as well as my father.”
Safia says: “Her family asked her not to repeat her request, especially since they are in a rural area and her family sees the mentally ill girl as unstable, she might talk to herself, run away from home, or behave in any way without her awareness, which may prevent young men from proposing to her or girls from socializing with her, and she may suffer greatly from people’s treatment of her.”
On the other hand, Ayban Muhammad Al-Sam’i, a specialized researcher in sociology, asserts: “Family social upbringing is based on gender discrimination. Often, male children receive special attention and are ingrained with the belief that they are the future heads of the family. They are granted more independence and mobility. Meanwhile, females are deprived of these opportunities.”.
He continues: “From a young age, girls are raised to perform household chores and serve family members. Throughout their lives, they are trapped in a culture of shame. They are taught that they symbolize purity and honor, and it is their responsibility to safeguard the family’s reputation. The female persona is shaped by performing gender roles derived from the prevailing patriarchal system, rooted in oppressive customs and traditions.”
He further explains: “These customs and traditions, which perpetuate violence against women, collaborate with male-centric religious discourse. As a result, violence against women is manifested in various aspects of their lives, from their clothing choices and behavior to their participation in work and community service. Yemeni women experience violence in their daily lives. They are often described using negative and demeaning terms, including being labeled as ‘Hurma’ or ‘Maklaf’.
He adds: “And it doesn’t stop there; popular sayings are filled with biased attitudes against women who pursue their humanity, attaching negative qualities to them. For instance, phrases like ‘A woman has no purpose other than marriage or the grave’ and many others.”
Al-Sam’i believes that the current educational system in Yemen often contributes to violence against women through educational curricula that confine them to stereotypical roles, such as being wives, mothers, and homemakers responsible for childcare, family service, household chores, and agriculture. Working women, doctors, engineers, and employees are often excluded.
He points out that numerous legal texts perpetuate the violation of women’s rights and reinforce their subordination to men. For example, Articles 12 and 13 of the Criminal Code address domestic violence and honor crimes.
Prominent Customs and Traditions that Oppress and Abuse Women
Lubna Al-Qudsi, a lawyer and women’s rights activist points out that some customs and traditions oppress women in Yemen and prevent them from demanding their rights, including forced marriage, child marriage or exchange marriage, early marriage, lack of inheritance rights, silence on physical violence if she is subjected to beating or verbal abuse by her husband or a family member, or in case of harassment and rape. Additionally, preventing her from resorting to courts and security authorities to demand her rights because it is considered a disgrace according to social beliefs.
She adds: “Some customs and traditions in different areas prevent women from expressing their opinions, especially in household matters, it is considered a disgrace, and the man has the first and final say; as she does not participate in approving the marriage, or in raising children, nor in choosing names, nor in matters related to her life, she is also forced to marry a relative for fear that the inheritance will go outside the family.”
On the other hand, Fawzia Dirham Al-Muraisi, Director of the Social Health Department at the Yemen Women’s Union, believes that some customs and traditions oppress women and generate a culture of violence against them. These include denying them the right to their share of inheritance, distinguishing between male and female in most areas of life, and that a girl’s mistakes are unforgivable while for men it is the opposite, and that they are created for service and housework only. They are not allowed to go out and work, even in choosing a partner and controlling her appearance and other aspects of customs and traditions that restrict women.
Types of Social Violence
Academic Abdul-Karim Ghanim, a researcher in sociology, defines social violence practiced against women as characterized by gender-based discrimination. It targets women or girls simply because they are female, resulting in physical, sexual, or psychological harm. This violence also entails complete or partial deprivation of rights and freedoms that women should enjoy equally with men.
Ghanim classifies social violence into several forms, including physical violence. Women or girls face violence ranging from slaps to causing permanent disabilities. In rare cases, it may escalate to murder, as seen in so-called “honor crimes.” Domestic violence knows no bounds; whether the female is a daughter, sister, or wife, society does not criminalize the use of violence against women within the home. This grants men the entitlement to perpetrate violence against women and girls without limits.
The second type of social violence is verbal violence. Ghanim defines it as the use of insults and offensive words directed at women, belittling them and undermining their worth. This can occur within the family, in front of their children, or in public where others can witness it.
Another form of social violence is psychological violence, which a person experiences without being able to physically, materially, or legally confront it. It is expected that this type of violence can lead to psychological or mental illnesses that are difficult to recover from.
Ghanim also discusses economic violence, resulting from a woman’s financial dependence. In most cases, married women in our society are unable to work and earn a living. Rarely do women receive their fair share of inheritance from their fathers, mothers, or others. This situation leaves them subject to male authority from birth to death, receiving only what men choose to provide, despite their significant efforts during times of conflict and crisis.
Regarding the causes of social violence, Ghanim states that male-dominated culture, which perpetuates discrimination between males and females, is one of the most significant factors contributing to the reproduction of gender-based violence. This culture is intertwined with misguided religious concepts, such as the belief that women are intellectually and spiritually deficient and that they were created from a crooked rib.
In his discussion, Ghanim adds: “Male-oriented culture and tribal values glorify men in Yemeni society, considering them defenders of family and tribe in a traditional community where there is no prominent role for a state capable of ensuring security and defending society. Consequently, we observe an increase in gender-based violence.
Ghanim states: “Among the consequences of violence is the reinforcement of oppression and tyranny within families and society as a whole. For instance, the violence experienced by a wife can manifest as retaliatory violence against her children. This leads to a submissive and compliant generation, incapable of defending their rights or fulfilling their duties.
Effects of Customs on Women
Rashid Al-Bakali, a teacher and community activist, explained that society, by its nature, is bound by certain limitations and patterns that make it cling to customs and traditions, even if they are harmful and have negative consequences, especially for women. This forces women to accept the pressures they face and submit to them out of fear of societal judgment.
Fawzia Dirham Al-Muraisi highlighted the negative repercussions of many customs and traditions that have cultivated a culture of violence against women. This includes a rise in the number of women suffering from psychological and nervous disorders, depression, self-criticism, low self-esteem, stubbornness, rejection of reality, a pessimistic outlook on life, and a constant feeling of being under guardianship in every aspect of their lives.
She believes that there needs to be a community-wide effort to educate women about their rights, encourage them to complete their education, and participate in training programs, especially those that equip women with skills to become self-supporting and achieve financial independence. Financial security is crucial for them. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about safe spaces and women’s centers that serve women in various areas of awareness, psychology, social, health, and culture, empowering them to develop their abilities and selves.
Bahia Al-Saqqaf, head of the PASS Peace for Sustainable Communities Foundation, points out that Yemeni women live in a harsh and restrictive reality, suffering from marginalization and exclusion, starting from education and work and extending to political participation. They also face the threat of physical and psychological violence, both from family members and society at large.
In an interview with “Women in Development and Peace,” she adds that inherited customs and traditions play a significant role in excluding Yemeni women and exposing them to violence. Some customs reinforce the concept of “masculinity” and diminish the importance of women and their value in society, leading them to feel inferior and lack self-confidence.
She clarifies that the violence and oppression women and girls face in Yemen are a result of inherited customs and traditions, such as child marriage, where some girls are forced into marriage at an early age, depriving them of education and opportunities. This also includes female genital mutilation, which poses serious health and psychological risks. Additionally, arbitrary divorce grants men the right to divorce their wives without needing legal justification. Many women suffer from physical and psychological violence from their husbands or family members.
Al-Saqqaf suggests a series of proposals to help women and girls bring about change that will help them overcome the violence they face as a result of customs and traditions. These include raising awareness about women’s rights by educating them about the dangers of harmful customs and traditions, encouraging women to demand their rights, working to change some laws, enacting laws that protect women from violence, and promoting their participation in various fields. A fundamental shift in societal thinking is needed, starting with raising new generations with a culture of equality and respect for women’s rights. It’s crucial to work with all community and government entities to change the reality of Yemeni women and liberate them from the shackles of harmful customs and traditions.