Afrah Borji – Women in Development and Peace
Despite the significant progress Yemen has made in women’s empowerment in recent years, women working in government institutions still face numerous challenges and obstacles that hinder their active participation in sustainable development. They suffer from discrimination and marginalization, limited employment and promotion opportunities, low salaries, and harassment and intimidation in the workplace. In addition, social and cultural barriers limit their full participation, such as restrictions on their movement, and household and legal responsibilities that fail to protect women’s rights in the workplace or enhance their participation in decision-making.
Yemeni women’s participation in government work is a crucial pillar for achieving sustainable development in the country. This report highlights the major challenges facing women working in the public sector, as well as the efforts they are making to improve their overall situation, empower themselves, and support their active participation in decision-making.
Dr. Kawkab Al-Hasani, a dentist at the Tahrir Public Hospital in Hodeidah, says: “Today, women are no longer seen as helpless or weak. Many opportunities are open to them, even if they haven’t completed their university education. They can work in any craft and earn a living. We see many examples of women who are no longer dependent on their families, but are supporting themselves and their families.”
Challenges and Pressures
Dr. Al-Hasani goes on to highlight the challenges faced by women working in government institutions: “While there has been a noticeable improvement in the situation of Yemeni women compared to the past, this progress has not come without new challenges and difficulties. Most women work long hours for low wages that don’t meet their basic needs. Their need for work is often exploited, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and oppression, particularly when it comes to financial returns. They are often forced to accept the bare minimum just to have a job.”
She adds, “Society primarily believes that women’s need to work is solely due to financial pressures. They overlook the crucial role work plays in a woman’s life, and the psychological and emotional value it brings, contributing to her growth and development as an active member of society.”
Limited and Restrictive Roles
Kawkab raises the important issue of limited roles imposed on women in the workplace. Women continue to face limitations in public sector jobs, often relegated to specific roles like secretarial work. They are denied other positions that are considered reserved for men, stemming from a lack of trust in their ability to deliver quality work. This is even though women possess the skills and competence to excel in many roles.
As a result, women in Yemen struggle to perform their jobs with confidence, as they face a narrow view of their capabilities. This often leads to hesitancy and a lack of self-assurance. Furthermore, there are frustrations from their own gender, further hindering their progress, impacting their performance, and ultimately limiting development and progress in the country. This is a point that Kawkab emphasizes.
A Narrow Perspective Creates Challenges
Anhar Ashish, a teacher at a government school in Hodeidah, explains that working Yemeni women face many challenges and pressures in their daily lives. They are forced to juggle responsibilities at work and home, along with personal tasks. This leads to a perception that they are capable of handling the burden and successfully balancing their roles.
Anhar Ashish continues, “Despite the ability of working women to handle the workload, they face significant exploitation compared to men, especially in the government sector. Salaries are not paid regularly, and they encounter stringent work conditions with threats of job loss. Their needs are exploited in a way that their male counterparts are not.”
She adds, “We see that discrimination and differentiation by employers prevent gender equality. For example, they might say ‘from so-and-so’s side’ or ‘so-and-so’s daughter’ instead of mentioning their full name. Furthermore, there is often negligence in evaluating women’s work, even if they excel.”
Dr. Kawkab elaborates on the challenges faced by women working in the government sector, highlighting that some members of society view them with condescension and mockery. Despite their hard work and dedication, they are not provided with a financial return that meets their basic living needs, leaving them in a state of need and reliance on others, like brothers, husbands, or fathers. There is also a significant conservative group that believes women are “incomplete” and their work is confined to the home.
Anhar Ashish concludes, “Certain tasks within the institution are entrusted to male colleagues, especially in government institutions, based on the hierarchy, without considering competence or qualifications. However, if the tasks do not involve financial gain, they are unfairly shifted to female colleagues, under the assumption that they do not deserve work that leads to direct income.”
She continued, “The lack of strong oversight by government agencies is one of the reasons for discrimination in the workplace between women and men and their exploitation. And if such oversight exists, it is unfortunately corrupted by bribery, connections, and favoritism. There’s also a bigger problem – women entering the private sector to improve their living conditions and become financially independent. However, they still shoulder additional burdens and financial costs, which increases the difficulties they face.”
Regarding development opportunities, Ashish says, “Working women face many challenges that hinder their progress and affect their performance. These include the low financial returns in government institutions in our country, which are not paid monthly, affecting them financially, emotionally, and materially. There is also a lack of development opportunities, as training courses and workshops are not conducted sufficiently to improve the performance of employees in general, and women in particular.”
Solutions and Recommendations
Dr. Kawkab Al-Hasani offers many solutions to the challenges facing Yemeni women in government institutions, which could contribute to improving their situation. These solutions include:
- Enhancing women’s participation in legislative bodies to contribute to the development of effective laws that support women and their developmental presence in society.
- Involving qualified women working in the government sector in empowerment and sustainable development programs, and working to reduce gender-based marginalization.
- Qualifying and empowering active female cadres to raise awareness in society in general, and women in particular, about their rights enshrined in the constitution.
- Integrating the roles of the media and mosques to educate society and change the negative perceptions that subject women to injustice and oppression.
- Supporting literacy centers and establishing specialized courses that promote the economic empowerment of women to participate in public work.
- Enacting laws that regulate the minimum wage, consistent with the nature of women’s work.
- Enhancing women’s participation in decision-making, especially in government institutions, and support their participation in the peace process and shaping the future policy of the country.
On the other hand, Anhar Ashish presented several recommendations, including establishing a regulation that clarifies the rights of employees within the institution, including women’s rights, obligating all parties to ensure its implementation, and imposing appropriate penalties on any entity that violates the provisions of the regulation.
In addition, she suggested developing a mechanism by the Ministry of Finance to discuss the rights of government employees working for the country and separating the institution from political and party affiliations, as it is an institution that serves the citizens and the public interest only.
She continued, “Holding training courses and workshops to enhance the capacity of women as well as men to keep up with developments and job skills that improve institutional work, and activating the role of oversight from higher authorities within the institution. It is also necessary to grant women their rights and encourage them to improve institutional work, advance, and progress to keep pace with global developments in various fields.
