Joint statement
As part of the 16 Days to Combat Violence against Women, the Justice4Yemen Coalition is committed to the principle of combating violence against women and considers violence against women and girls in Yemen a blatant violation of human rights and a threat to their dignity, freedom and safety. We consider it our collective and moral responsibility to eradicate this violence and to stand with the women affected. Although the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is worsening and gender-based violence continues to spread, funding remains very low compared to other sectors. The GBV sub-cluster received only 19 percent of the required funding, leaving 4.1 million women and 4.3 million girls in need without support. OCHA data shows that 350,000 women lost access to GBV services in 2020 after 12 safe spaces for women and girls were closed due to lack of funding.
According to a study by CARE International, the percentage of women exposed to violence since the beginning of the armed conflict is around 63%, and more than 60,000 Yemeni women are exposed to physical and psychological violence and other forms of violence because traditional family roles have changed. Therefore, the protection mechanisms for women are no longer able to improve these conditions and protect them from violence.
Around 26 percent of displaced families are supported by women. However, discrimination against women continues to hinder women’s ability to support themselves and their families. In addition, the male escort policy has limited the ability of female humanitarian workers to provide much-needed support and assistance. This impacts health care and reproductive health programs, as well as any humanitarian aid that requires Yemeni female staff and provides assistance to women and girls.
According to a report that examined the repercussions of war on women in the Yemeni workforce, Yemen has one of the lowest female labor force participation rates in the world, and the conflict has affected working women more than their male counterparts. 76.9 percent of Yemeni women are economically inactive outside the labor market because they devote themselves to domestic work, and that women’s low level of education limits their employment opportunities; only 55 percent of Yemeni women are educated, compared to 85 percent of men.
It is worth noting that 81% of women believe that lack of participation in decision-making in the family is a form of domestic violence. Grazia Careccia, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa said “Prison authorities must immediately release women, and anyone else, detained beyond the completion of their prison sentence in accordance with Yemen’s Criminal Code, the constitution, and international human rights law obligations. They should end unjustifiable deprivation of liberty and all forms of gender-based discrimination.”
According to a report by the Center for Strategic Studies in Support of Women and Children in 2022 on gender-based violence, women are at the top of the list of violations, and the violations come from different parties (family – security agencies – religious parties – media channels.)
The 16 Days of Activism is an opportunity to raise the voices of girls and women and to highlight the violations that girls and women face and the need to work on strengthening their protection mechanisms.
The Justice for Yemen Pact Coalition calls,
- Individuals, institutions, government bodies, and parties to the conflict to collectively work towards ending violence against girls and women in Yemen.
- Create national mechanisms to protect women and girls from various discriminatory social practices in Yemen.
- Working on raising community awareness about the types of violence women face and emphasize the negative impact on their lives and society as a whole.
- Develop and implement a strong legislation to combat violence against women in Yemen.
- Taking measures to ensure justice and protection for victims of gender-based violence.
- Taking accountability measures to hold perpetrators of violence against women accountable for their actions.
- Working on providing comprehensive support and assistance to women affected by violence, including the establishment of safe shelters, and the provision of legal, psychological, and medical services.
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Justice4Yemen Pact
November 25, 2023
- 1Abductees’ Mothers Association (AMA)
- Ambition Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of the Deaf
- Aden Lovers Initiative
- Alakhar for Peace and development center
- Al-Amal Women’s and Sociocultural Foundation (AWS)
- Alliance of women parties and civil society organizations
- Arab Human Rights Foundation
- Bahth Foundation for Development and Human Rights
- Center for Strategic Studies to Support Women and Children (CSWC)
- For you for special needs
- Free Media Center for Investigative Journalism
- Freshair Initiative
- Future Makers Development Organization
- Gender for studies and consultation
- General Administration for Women’s Development
- Human Aid for Development
- Human Arab Sister
- Human Development Foundation HDF
- Hodaj platform
- Hoor Foundation for Peace and Development
- JÎN Women Association
- Kayan Foundation for Peace and Development
- Manasatta
- Marib Dam Foundation for Social Development (MDF)
- Media Sac for Media and Development
- Musaala Organization
- National Democratic Institute
- Protection and Rehabilitation Center for Women and Girls
- Qarar Foundation for Media and Development
- SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties
- Steps of Hope Initiative
- Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC)
- The Civic Center for Advocacy and Support
- Together for peace inside and outside
- Watch for Human Rights
- Woman and Child Development Center
- WOMEN FOR PEACE IN YEMEN
- Yemeni Coalition to Monitor Human Rights Violations (YCMHRV)
- Yemen Health Organization
- Yemen Future Website
- Yemen Renaissance Organization
COMMENTS