Ahmad Bajoaim – Women in Development and Peace
Collective marriage has become a noticeable social phenomenon in Yemeni society in recent years. This is largely due to ongoing conflicts and the tough economic conditions that have intensified the challenges young people face, making it difficult for them to afford individual marriages. As a result, many initiatives have played a significant role in mitigating the issue of spinsterhood by promoting annual collective weddings in several Yemeni provinces, which is an effective solution to ease the high costs of marriage that have escalated recently.
The collective weddings organized by organizations and community initiatives play an important role in reducing spinsterhood rates among youth. They provide an opportunity for young men and women to marry at lower costs, contributing to social stability and lessening the financial pressures on marriage decisions. Furthermore, these organizations, including international bodies and civil society groups, have a key role in raising awareness in the local community about the importance of addressing the issue of spinsterhood. They conduct awareness campaigns and community programs to shed light on the root causes of this phenomenon and encourage community partnerships to come up with practical and effective solutions.
The Awareness
In recent years, many civil society organizations in Yemen have played a vital role in alleviating spinsterhood through efforts and initiatives aimed at addressing this issue. One of the most prominent efforts has been organizing collective weddings that help young men and women marry at lower costs, thereby alleviating the financial burden that is a major obstacle to marriage given the challenging economic conditions.
Organizations also contribute to community awareness by organizing campaigns that highlight social customs and traditions that may contribute to delayed marriages, such as high dowries and expensive social events, and challenge cultural notions regarding the appropriate age for marriage. Some organizations offer financial assistance or affordable loans to support young people planning to marry, as well as empowering women through economic support programs.
The Emirates Red Crescent has played a crucial role in organizing collective marriage events in Yemen, especially for those in need and those struggling financially. Ali Al-Jifri, the media officer for the organization in Hadhramaut, noted that these initiatives have significant social and economic importance. Despite the difficult circumstances in Yemen, these collective weddings provide a chance to instill hope in the hearts of young people, as they feel that there are organizations concerned about their issues and striving to improve their living conditions and stability.
He added, “These events bring together various community segments, which strengthens social bonds among families and fosters cooperation and communication. Such occasions can also be used to raise awareness about important issues like reproductive health and women’s rights. Collective marriages are a practical solution for those wishing to marry, especially for those facing financial challenges, as it allows them to build a happy family.”
Al-Jifri pointed out that the success of these initiatives depends on carefully selecting the marriage applicants, ensuring they are capable of taking on marital responsibilities and living costs after marriage. Overall, collective marriage is seen as a positive step that contributes to individual stability and benefits the community as a whole.
He explained that the organization does not only organize collective marriages but also provides a series of interventions designed to support the newlyweds on multiple levels. They offer direct financial assistance to the couples and cover part of the wedding expenses, such as paying the dowry to the bride’s family and providing essential items like clothing, perfumes, and accessories.
Additionally, the organization organizes workshops and awareness sessions for newlyweds about married life and the rights and duties of spouses, aiming to enhance their understanding of marital responsibilities and ensure stable family life. They also provide psychological support, particularly for youth over forty who have been unable to marry due to financial or social circumstances. The organization’s efforts don’t stop at the marriage stage; they continue to monitor the couple’s stability after the wedding, offering support in case challenges arise post-marriage.
Targeting the Community
In Hadhramaut and Yemen in general, civil society organizations are organizing collective weddings as the strongest program aimed at the community, to alleviate a societal phenomenon that has been troubling everyone: the issue of spinsterhood, and to help young people cope with the tough economic conditions the country is facing.
On June 12, 2024, a community initiative held a collective wedding for 118 brides and grooms in the Sah district of Hadhramaut, marking the twelfth consecutive year of this initiative, according to the official Facebook page of the initiative. This effort aims to reduce the spread of spinsterhood among the youth in the community.
In this context, the organization stated in its report that the collective weddings are meant to promote social solidarity and support among the members of the local community while appreciating the role of social figures and funding organizations in making this initiative a success, which aims to alleviate the financial burdens of marriage on young people in the governorate and support them in building their futures and stabilizing their family lives.
Ali Al-Jifri pointed out that the collective weddings reflect the continuous support from the Emirates Red Crescent for the people of our country, addressing their needs and helping them ease their circumstances, especially given the difficult situations the country has faced, and to relieve their suffering from the high costs of marriage. The Emirates Red Crescent has implemented a systematic plan to organize collective weddings throughout the country to support young people facing significant challenges.
According to a statistic obtained by Women in Development and Peace newspaper, the Emirates Red Crescent has organized around 23 collective weddings in recent years, benefiting about 4,600 brides and grooms across various Yemeni provinces. These initiatives aimed to support youth, ease the financial burdens on families, and strengthen social ties within the community.
For his part, Mr. Amr Ghabish, head of the collective marriage committee in the A’sad Al-Faya area within Al-Raida and Qusab’ar district—one of the districts in eastern Hadhramaut—said: “We held two collective weddings in 2023 and 2024, benefiting 126 brides and grooms, as part of a community effort to strengthen family bonds and help young people marry amid the tough living conditions in the country.”
Challenges and Solutions
Many organizations face a range of challenges when it comes to implementing programs that primarily target youth, especially concerning the issue of spinsterhood in Yemen. These challenges are linked to social, economic, political, and cultural factors, as well as social customs and traditions. The ongoing political and security instability has directly impacted people’s ability to marry and form families, along with the community’s awareness of the importance of suitable marriages, tribal customs, and strict traditions that hinder efforts to reduce spinsterhood, among other societal challenges.
Ali Al-Jifri points out that the tough economic conditions in Yemen have led many young people to shy away from marriage; thus, this initiative aims to achieve multiple goals, foremost of which is to reduce wedding costs, simplify the process, curb extravagance in social events, promote values of solidarity and compassion among members of the community, and combat trends of showing off and boasting in such social occasions.
He added, “The challenges related to organizing collective weddings largely stem from cultural and social obstacles, like the difficulty of matching wedding dates to accommodate all families. Some families also oppose the idea of collective weddings due to the lack of privacy; these events tend to be large and open to many people, which doesn’t create an intimate family atmosphere.”
He also clarified that while collective weddings are gaining increasing acceptance in the community, some groups may still be hesitant to fully embrace the idea. Over time, there has been growing awareness of the benefits of collective weddings, but some people still view them as an undesirable alternative to traditional marriage.
He noted that collective weddings have many advantages, such as reducing high costs and making marriage easier for young people with limited incomes—important aspects that encourage the community to accept this approach. With time and increasing awareness of how these weddings can alleviate economic burdens, many of these challenges can be overcome.
For his part, Amr Ghabish believes that the biggest challenge they face as members of the community committee organizing these events is the lack of official support for collective marriages. The committee puts in significant efforts to seek necessary funding from various private entities that would support organizing collective weddings aimed at addressing the rising spinsterhood phenomenon among youth, given the current situation in Yemen across different sectors. This is one of the major challenges facing the community committee.
The role of organizations, community committees, initiatives, and bodies is critical in raising awareness about the issue of spinsterhood in Yemen, as it calls for the collective efforts of all community sectors to face it and mitigate its social and economic impacts, by supporting and facilitating initiatives that promote collective weddings. This provides an affordable alternative for young men and women, allowing them to marry without the hefty financial burdens linked to traditional weddings and helping them build stable families.