Hanan Hussein – Women in Development and Peace
Yemeni women have a strong and effective impact on any society they live in. They are fundamental to the formation and advancement of society. They can endure much to achieve their aspirations for a decent life for themselves and their families, leading to self-realization in all life’s domains. Many Yemeni female figures have advanced globally in various fields, becoming icons for many women around the world. This raises questions about the role Yemeni women play in these new societies. This report clarifies societal views on the role of Yemeni women in the diaspora, the reasons behind their migration, the challenges they face, and how these are addressed.
A Decent Living
Dr. Nujood Hashim Al-Walidi, Executive Director of the Training and Capacity Building Sector at the Arab Youth Union for Creativity and Innovation, working under the Arab Economic Unity Council, speaks about the main reasons that might drive Yemeni women to leave their homeland for the diaspora; she says: “The migration of Yemenis abroad has been due to various reasons, the most significant being escaping continuous conflicts, as well as harsh economic conditions, and the weakness in the education and health sectors which forces Yemeni citizens to travel abroad for treatment. Migration could be permanent or temporary, as Yemenis today seek a decent living across the world.”
Dhia Muhairiz, Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Aden, believes that recently, conflict has been at the forefront of reasons leading to the migration of Yemenis abroad, seeking safe living or an adequate income due to the scarcity of job opportunities in Yemen. Additionally, other reasons include the decline in social services, lack of freedoms, and security risks targeting their lives for political, tribal, or social reasons.
New Opportunities for Yemeni Women
Ikram Thabit, a resident in the Netherlands, shares her perspective that the primary reason driving women to migrate abroad is the lack of job opportunities for Yemeni women at home. This, along with society’s narrow views on certain social and political issues concerning women, has set the country back years and was a key factor in leaving the homeland. Women in Yemen barely secure some of their rights as females, and post-conflict, they’ve been marginalized from political participation and even in peace-building processes.
She adds, “Whichever society we’ve turned to, it’s currently the better choice; since abroad has opened its arms to us, giving us a new chance to start over, and we’ve become contributors to the society we’ve migrated to, which in turn has become our provider for us and our families back home.”
She emphasizes, “We are the best representatives of our country in other nations; because we were born fighting in our country for the mere idea of survival and sharing society with men, and now opportunities are available to us here outside our homeland. We represent half of the society, practicing our rights as women, not less than men in rights and duties, performing our work with utmost dedication and sincerity, and reaping the fruits of our efforts in return.”
Female Contributions
On her part, Nujood Al-Walidi says, “The presence of women in the diaspora holds great significance on multiple levels (social, economic, and cultural), reflecting the importance of women outside Yemen. The role of Yemeni women in the diaspora is crucial for them and their community, through their contributions across various fields and specialties; whether in education, medicine, economics, science, or others.”
She adds, “Women can contribute to economic enhancement whether in the diaspora or their homeland; through commercial activities they achieve in their career path in entrepreneurship, in addition to preserving cultural identity by teaching the Yemeni dialect to children in the diaspora, helping to maintain a connection to Yemen’s national identity.”
She continues, “And let’s not forget community and political participation; Yemeni women have proven their merit in this field, playing an invaluable role, especially in community participation, also striving for professional development by acquiring new skills and professionally developing themselves. Women contribute by providing a positive model of a Yemeni woman capable of success and influence in any society through specialized training courses, gaining new skills in areas like computing and digital marketing, among others.”
In Exile
Umaima Muhammad, a resident of Sweden, mentions that exile isn’t the best in all aspects, but the situation in Yemen and the conflicts have led to accepting this reality, and seeking safety for her and her children. Foreign societies perhaps do not interfere with personal privacy and individual freedoms (despite all their drawbacks).
She adds, “The foreign community provides women with everything they need in terms of security and stability, where they can start from scratch in education or work, but you can’t become one of the native-born. I still feel lost in exile because exile is indivisible and cannot replace your homeland. The idea of migration came only to ensure a decent life and a better future for our children in education.”
Umaima explains that her biggest fear is her children growing up with wrong customs and traditions, and she does everything possible to ensure a healthy Yemeni environment despite being in exile.
Illustrious Names
Dhia Muhairiz talks about the role of the Yemeni community in general in foreign societies; she says, “Undoubtedly, Yemeni immigrants and refugees have integrated into the societies they migrated to, influenced them, and also became influential, adding to these societies from their sciences and experiences.”
Many of them have their roles and works highlighted within the host society. Learning and success opportunities abroad are more abundant than in Yemen, with all educational avenues available to immigrants and job opportunities suited to their qualifications. There is less reliance on nepotism, bribes, and favoritism to secure jobs.
Ikram sees the biggest challenge in breaking the fear barrier for women is that they can’t live without support, a provider, or a man to guide them through life.
From Nujood Al-Walidi’s perspective, challenges include economic difficulties, cultural and linguistic barriers, discrimination, lack of social integration, legal difficulties, and lack of awareness about mental and physical health, in addition to issues related to the hijab and laws opposing it.
Academic Perspective
From her perspective, Dr. Dhia Muhairiz explains that the reasons for women migrating abroad are usually due to marriage, study, or fleeing from threats or a difficult reality resulting from the consequences of conflict, and in rare cases, for living and working in countries of diaspora. The Yemeni migrant woman carries her homeland in her heart; thus, she always feels a sense of estrangement, which she tries to alleviate by mingling with the Yemeni and Arab communities in the diaspora.
She adds, “Nevertheless, the Yemeni migrant woman has integrated into the host societies, participating in various aspects of life, and certainly, there are some problems she faces, encountering obstacles such as racism and ethnic discrimination in some Western societies, and being viewed with suspicion despite being a citizen like others – seen as a burden on society, an unwelcome guest who should leave.”
In addition to facing bullying, exclusion, marginalization, and a derogatory view towards migrant women, she affirms the feeling of estrangement and the difficulty some have in integrating into the host society due to different customs, traditions, language barriers, and cultural challenges, especially if the migration is to Western society. Differences in the host country’s systems regarding work and the many imposed obligations add to the challenges, as does the struggle of the Yemeni migrant mother in raising children, particularly in non-Muslim societies.
She explains that there are enormous living challenges; they might struggle to secure housing, work, and education, and they might face unsafe and unstable living conditions, which affects their psychological stability and general health, in addition to difficulties related to maintaining Yemeni identity and balancing between the vast freedom available in the West and the cultural heritage dictated by Yemeni Arab upbringing.
A New Life
Maha Al-Hakimi, a Yemeni academic residing in Egypt, says, “A Yemeni, whether a man or a woman, faces many difficulties and obstacles when deciding to travel for migration or exile for any reason; life outside our countries is an adventure in every sense of the word, with challenges, fears, achievements, and failures alike. A person feels like they’re starting life from scratch, despite having had a life, a community, and friends.”
Al-Hakimi adds, “Anyone can imagine what the Yemeni woman faces when leaving our societies for different societies with all their challenges, customs, and traditions, and the requirements imposed on her by the new society. Women find it hard to understand and integrate into society, and then they must meet the demands of this society from various aspects; (educational, social, behavioral, work experience, and much more).”
On the other hand, Al-Hakimi sees that some are content with living their simple social life within Yemeni or Arab circles that share our customs, and in both cases, a Yemeni woman still carries the longing for her homeland, her community, and everyone in it.