Yasmine Abdulhafeez – Women in Development and Peace
Various media outlets play a crucial role in highlighting different societal issues effectively and influentially, especially in Yemen, which has been experiencing exceptional circumstances for years, such as poverty, unemployment, education, health, and others. This is achieved through their media programs across different platforms, which significantly contribute to conveying these issues to decision-makers and relevant authorities to find solutions.
Despite the paramount importance of media in addressing various issues, the situation is different in Yemen. The ongoing conflict in Yemen has restricted freedom of the press, impacting the media’s ability to perform its role fully. Many television channels, radio stations, and news websites have shifted their focus to covering the ongoing conflict in the country for many years.
However, Yemeni society has become more aware of the importance of media in supporting societal issues, which motivates media outlets to elevate their performance. In recent years, numerous new media platforms have emerged, such as websites and social media, creating new opportunities for freedom of expression and communication.
Issues of Working Women in Public Facilities
The issues of working women in the government sector remain absent from the Yemeni media agenda, despite the challenges women in Yemen face due to customs, traditions, ignorance, discrimination, the economic conditions plaguing the country as a result of the conflict, and other problems women have been experiencing for a long time and continue to face. There are no media programs specifically addressing this aspect in a focused and impactful manner.
Fatima Nabil, a resident of Al-Hali District in Hodeidah Governorate, says, “Despite the proliferation of Yemeni media outlets, particularly channels, radio stations, and news and specialized websites, we rarely find spaces that discuss our issues and problems, especially our situation in government institutions, to develop fundamental solutions to these issues.”
She adds, “Yemeni women in all regions of the country face harsh circumstances and significant suffering. Many Yemeni women lack access to healthcare, suffer from malnutrition, and lack basic services like water, electricity, education, and sanitation. Alongside this, living conditions have increased women’s responsibilities towards their families. Therefore, dedicating sufficient space to address women’s issues is essential.”
Among the women’s issues that require media attention in Yemen is the situation of working women in government institutions, especially considering the displacement of many women after the closure of numerous government institutions in some Yemeni regions due to the conflict, along with salary cuts and the destruction of many facilities under their jurisdiction.
This was confirmed by media professional Aasim Al-Mas’abi, who says, “It is crucial for media outlets to focus on the achievements women are making in various fields, particularly in government facilities, and highlight them to society, encouraging them to continue striving to achieve their goals. Media outlets should also address the challenges women face in their work, find suitable solutions, and educate society about the importance of women in fulfilling their institutional duties. Media is the most comprehensive means of reaching the public and conveying its message to them.”
The Media and Showcasing Women’s Achievements
In this regard, Yahya Al-Ahmadi, an academic and political researcher, says, “The presence of working women in government institutions, their excellence in their field, and their tangible achievements are still far from the Yemeni media, except for fleeting mentions or marginal coverage that doesn’t reflect the reality of working women, their development, and their ability to compete, despite all the obstacles.”
He adds in his interview with Women in Development and Peace newspaper: “We rarely hear about reports, journalistic works, or media coverage that highligh the role of working women or seek to present successful female models to the public.”
He confirms that this trend is not arbitrary or spontaneous, but rather due to many reasons; most importantly, the culture of a patriarchal society that inherits a stereotypical image of women and confines them to domestic work only. Al-Ahmadi believes that there are still those who deny women the right to work, study, or play any role, let alone cover their successes and excellence in practical reality.
He points out that women bear some responsibility for this erasure and elimination; because they have conformed to customs and traditions, dealt with reality, refrained from defining themselves and their achievements, and have not taken advantage of the great media openness and the amazing development in social media, or what is called new media, which allows them to register their presence as active partners in society.
For his part, media professional Adil Aqlan says: “The media is supposed to play an important role in highlighting the achievements of women employed in the government, by highlighting success stories of women, writing articles, and filming television reports that tell the success stories of women who have overcome challenges and achieved tangible achievements in their government positions.”
He continues: “There are some challenges that hinder women’s movements; by discussing the issues facing working women in government, such as gender bias, lack of opportunities, and unequal pay.”
Aqlan confirms that the media today has a responsibility to promote women leaders, highlight successful female models in government, and encourage more women to pursue careers in the public sector. In this regard, media outlets should put pressure on decision-makers to address the issues facing working women, such as enacting laws that protect women’s rights and ensure equality in the workplace.
He continues in the same context: “In recent times, the Yemeni media has been positively influenced to raise the issue of working women in the government sector, albeit timidly. In addition, the role of the media has focused on the achievements of women in government departments, which has contributed to raising public awareness about the importance of women’s role in society.”
He explains that the Yemeni media plays a vital role in raising awareness about women’s rights, by highlighting success stories and achievements they achieve in the government sector. Consequently, the media will contribute to strengthening women’s empowerment and encouraging more women to achieve success in their fields.
The Media and the Issues of Working Women
Regarding the media’s impact on raising the issues of working women in the government sector, academic Yahya Al-Ahmadi says: “There is no doubt that the media can play a significant role by following their achievements, interacting with them, and presenting female models with their presence and successful experiences, which serve as role models for many Yemeni women. All of this will increase women’s enthusiasm and strengthen their presence and determination to achieve more success.”
He continues: “The media will undoubtedly impact society by keeping up with the successes of working women. It will increase awareness of their legitimate rights and empower them to contribute to building the nation. It will also remove the negative stereotypical image that has shackled them and confiscated their right to build and develop.”
For her part, Marwa Al-Ariqi, editor-in-chief of Hudaij platform, an online platform that focuses on the issues of Yemeni women, says: “First, let’s agree on a general assessment of the Yemeni media’s adoption of the issues of Yemeni women, which is very weak. The Yemeni media, especially during the conflict, marginalized women and led to a decline in their political presence in government positions, which is a reversal of the outcomes of the National Dialogue, which approved the representation of women in all government facilities at a rate of no less than 30%.”
She points out that working women in the government sector are less fortunate in terms of highlighting their issues, and their voices are almost stifled due to the limited number of female leaders in government departments.
She adds: “Despite the support of legal texts and regulations, they are not fully implemented and neglect women’s rights. Women contribute to this problem to a large extent, as they should know their rights and duties. They should be aware of the laws that protect them and their interests, to avoid prohibited actions or engage in behaviors that may harm them.”
She continues: “The media’s absence from discussing the issues of working women in the government sector is due to the pattern that these media outlets have become accustomed to covering, which is based on excitement, violence, and conflict. This is absent from the issues of working women in the government sector, not to mention women’s fear of speaking to the media, either out of shyness or because their families prevent them.”
Al-Ariqi calls on the Yemeni media to include women’s voices in all fields in their programs. She adds: “We hope to see media programs that serve their issues and have a tangible impact, upon which decisions are made that help women develop themselves, refine their talents, and give them independence by considering them as independent entities in their own right.”
She emphasizes the need to focus on the positive role of men who support women, seeing them as partners in building, and not ignoring this role; life is about integration, and it doesn’t work with just one gender.
Journalist Aqlan explains that Yemeni media can have a significant impact on raising the issues of working women in the government sector by highlighting the challenges they face, such as discrimination in treatment, salary, and leadership positions, as well as their achievements.
He adds: “One of the proposed solutions to strengthen the role of women in society is to raise awareness of women’s rights and promote gender equality in the government sector in various media outlets.”
Developmental Plans
According to Aqlan, various programs can be developed and dedicated to Yemeni media outlets to discuss the issues of working women in the government sector. These include talk shows featuring successful women in government institutions to share their stories and experiences, awareness programs highlighting women’s rights in the workplace and economic empowerment, special reports addressing the challenges and achievements of working women in the government sector, and educational programs highlighting the importance of strengthening the role of women in the government sector and encouraging female participation.
In a similar vein, journalist Fatima Al-Aghbari says: “With the division in different media outlets, some have somewhat focused on the issues of Yemeni women in general, while others have not addressed any issues related to women in Yemen.”