Hanan Hussein – Women in Development and Peace
Yemeni women, both inside and outside their homeland, face significant challenges amidst the ongoing conflict in Yemen. They also suffer from dire humanitarian conditions, displacement, and targeted violence. Despite these hardships, Yemeni women prove their resilience and ability to confront challenges daily, showcasing their pioneering roles in society, whether as human rights activists, community leaders, or providers of humanitarian services.
Numerous international and local initiatives aim to support Yemeni women by offering humanitarian and social assistance. This report reviews the impact of initiatives targeting Yemeni women, whether within the country or abroad, and highlights the importance of coordinating these efforts to maximize benefits.
Statistics and Numbers
According to statistics released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Egypt through its official website, the number of registered Yemeni refugees with the commission until August 2024 reached 8,649.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), an affiliate of the United Nations, estimated in Aden in 2022 that the number of Yemeni migrants exceeded one million. The report noted a significant increase in the number of migrants since 2019 due to the prolonged instability in Yemen.
The Yemeni Embassy in Cairo mentioned in 2022 that the number of Yemeni residents in Egypt ranges between 500,000 and 700,000, marking a noticeable increase compared to their numbers before the armed conflict erupted, which was approximately only 70,000.
The Importance of Initiatives
Feminist initiatives targeting Yemeni women abroad gain immense importance for providing psychological and social support, enhancing their sense of belonging and identity, and economically empowering Yemeni women by offering job opportunities and vocational training. These initiatives also work towards protecting the rights of Yemeni women abroad by raising awareness of their rights and providing legal support in case of any violations.
These initiatives contribute through a variety of programs and activities to the social and economic empowerment of Yemeni women, equipping them with the necessary skills to integrate into the new job market in the host community or upon returning home.
Waleed Al-Zuraiqi, Head of the Wujood Initiative in Egypt, speaks about the initiative, saying, “Our initiative is one of those serving Yemenis in Egypt, established in 2019, and it has three sections (Educational – Legal – Medical and Psychological Support). We work with Yemenis and other individuals from refugees and migrants of other nationalities in various fields, including humanitarian relief, rehabilitative activities, training, and more.”
He adds, “In the educational aspect, we conduct various courses targeting Yemeni students on how to adapt to the new reality, and we find educational scholarships for dropouts in collaboration with other initiatives, including Yemeni ones and those of other nationalities. We also hold awareness workshops targeting Yemeni female students in schools and institutes about their rights and duties, and we work on training girls and empowering them through several rehabilitative activities and training workshops in various fields, which contribute to enhancing their capabilities for commercial engagement and entering the job market in the host community.”
Speaking about the initiatives targeting women, he declares, “We have targeted many Yemeni women in Egypt, teaching them various crafts; including sewing, cake making, computing, in addition to courses in hairstyling, crochet, henna design, and other activities that can generate income from home.”
The head of Wujood Initiative in Egypt also mentioned, “We have taught women mobile phone repair to ensure their privacy; indeed, the initiative prioritizes women and children in general, especially those with special needs, within its vision and mission.”
Al-Zuraiqi continues, “Here in Egypt, we have many Yemeni initiatives, all of which care about women on psychological, social, medical, and even legal levels. These initiatives offer a lot to women according to the available resources.”
Waleed believes that among the challenges and obstacles faced by Yemeni women in the diaspora is the lack of awareness; he stated, “Even outside Yemen, we find that the Yemeni patriarchal societal mindset still dominates the reality of Yemeni women, especially those who want to work and be independent in all aspects of life; working in Egypt requires a permit, so women find it difficult to obtain it without the consent of their guardian in most cases.”
Riaheen Al-Yemen Initiative is a humanitarian women’s initiative to support and aid Yemeni women in Malaysia. This initiative represents a model of solidarity and cooperation among the Yemeni community members, seeking to alleviate the suffering of Yemeni women displaced by conflicts, providing them with a dignified life in their exile through numerous activities training, and rehabilitative programs.
The initiative, operational for several years, implements training and rehabilitation courses for women from the Yemeni community in Malaysia, within its programs to empower Yemeni women, find job opportunities to improve their living conditions and facilitate the establishment of small businesses and electronic marketing.
The initiative aims to provide material support by offering food aid, clothing, and medicine to needy families, rehabilitating Yemeni women to find suitable job opportunities, offering psychological and social support programs, and enhancing social cohesion in Malaysia.
The Importance of Activities
Ibtihal Al-Salihi, A Yemeni journalist residing in Egypt, states that the concerned entities, including initiatives that carry out activities targeting women through diverse programs like education and training, and collaborate with organizations like the International Organization for Migration and the UNHCR in supporting projects, should ensure their support is sustainable and continuous beyond the training phase. For instance, when a program teaches sewing, they should work on providing the project’s essentials like sewing machines, up to the point of helping her start her project, thereby aiding in the activation of small businesses.”
Asia Muhammad, Head of the Initiatives Department at Yemen Youth Organization under the Arab Youth Union for Creativity and Innovation (operating within the framework of the Council for Economic Unity of the Arab League), in her statement about the role of initiatives and valuable activities in supporting Yemeni women abroad, says: “Yemeni initiatives in Cairo have played a significant and effective role in qualifying and empowering Yemeni women economically, socially, legally, and increasing their awareness in all fields that touch upon the new reality of Yemeni women.”
She pointed out that Yemeni women might face many challenges and obstacles in diaspora countries. Therefore, they must be empowered in all fields, enabling them to face all those challenges positively. This empowerment helps transform them into strong, aware women capable of decision-making, managing themselves and their families, which positively reflects on the upbringing of their children and creating healthy, cohesive communities.
Female Contributions
Regarding the importance of supporting women with activities and initiatives, the head of the Initiatives Department at the Yemen Youth Organization states, “Empowering women can contribute to building strong and resilient communities in host countries or upon returning home, as well as increasing economic productivity, whether in their original countries through remittances or in their host countries through their contributions to the GDP.”
She continues, “Empowered women support entrepreneurship, creating new job opportunities, diversifying the economy, improving the living conditions of their families and communities, in addition to achieving gender equality and building more inclusive societies where everyone enjoys equal opportunities.”
She adds, “Initiatives targeting women abroad enhance the transfer of Yemeni cultural values and traditions to future generations, preserving the cultural identity of the community in diaspora countries through cultural heritage events and teaching crafts that foster patriotism within them.”
Asia Muhammad confirms there is cooperation among Yemeni initiatives under the supervision of the organization, saying, “We at the Yemen Youth Organization saw that the Initiatives Department has importance in unifying efforts from various Yemeni initiatives in Cairo, creating a common working environment from the organization’s side and the initiatives, through joint initiatives and aids that serve the woman and the Yemeni community. As the head of the Initiatives Management at the organization, we honored all Yemeni initiatives in Cairo for their efforts in targeting Yemeni women in the diaspora.”
Goals and Efforts
Regarding the importance of holding activities targeting women in the diaspora, Asia says, “These activities aim to empower migrant women in various fields and enhance their role in the host community; hence, it is necessary to provide them with the necessary support to overcome all challenges they face. Perhaps the most important activities and programs offered to women are education and training programs for language and computer skills, and entrepreneurship, which work on equipping women with the necessary skills for the local job market and providing them with the digital skills needed to find suitable work.”
“Many initiatives offer support for small projects to help women start their own businesses, provide psychological support through implementing advisory sessions for social awareness for women. Additionally, numerous initiatives conduct arts and culture activities to showcase the works of migrant women and celebrate their diversity and impact in the community,” Asia added, discussing the prominent activities undertaken by initiatives in diaspora countries.
Specialists and researchers see the necessity of establishing support groups for Yemeni women in diaspora countries which could contribute to the exchange of experiences and information. There should also be educational and awareness campaigns about women’s rights and the issues they face there, as well as greater support for small projects in a sustainable manner to ensure the continuation and development of work.