IREX ventured to Yemen as part of its broader community development activities to examine the needs, obstacles and accomplishments of local programs addressing women’s participation in political, social and economic development. In addition to the capital San’a, the IREX team traveled to Ta'izz, Aden, Amran as well as surrounding rural areas to meet with civic organizations, international donors, and government ministries.
Although the government of Yemen has made significant gains in granting women equal rights and encouraging political participation, there is still often a gap between policy and practice, particularly in finding acceptance among the population at large. Great strides need to be made to raise the status of Yemeni women, with respect to illiteracy, immobility, lack of control over fertility, limited access to credit, and limited opportunities for participation in decision-making. These factors not only negatively impact the quality of life of women and their families, but also local communities as a whole.
As a result of these challenges, women are becoming more prominent in the nongovernmental sector, especially in organizations addressing important socioeconomic issues related to women, children, and family health. While still poorly represented in media outlets, there are also a growing number of women working as journalists, seeking to improve gender balance in reporting as well as press coverage of women’s issues in Yemeni society.
The situation is seen as two-fold by many of the local organizations that met with IREX. On one side, the groups seek to raise awareness of women’s rights by both women and men in order to give women a greater voice in society. On the other side, limited economic opportunities, particularly for women, significantly hamper progress in improving the status of women; so many organizations seek to work on education and skills training for women and girls.
IREX has been collaborating with local partners around the world on community development and civic participation since 1994. A key component of this programming has been activities targeting underrepresented populations, which may include women, youth, ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities.
