Publications

The Lasting Legacy of Raufah Hassan (1958-2011)

“It is my opinion that democracy cannot be invented by a country nor imposed by a government. However, it grows within a house. A man and a woman who do not practice democracy between themselves cannot form a democratic society.” [1] —Raufah Hassan April 27 marks the anniversary of the death of Raufah Hassan, who …

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Yemeni Women in Diplomacy

“Our main challenge as women in Yemen is simply the fact that we are women,” – Sahar Ghanem, Yemeni Ambassador to the Netherlands.[1] “How can women have a strong presence [in diplomacy] when we aren’t in decision-making positions at all?” – Female Yemeni diplomat.[2] The underrepresentation of women in Yemen’s political and public sphere existed …

Recovering from Attacks on Education in Yemen

Executive Summary Education is often one of the greatest casualties of war. In Yemen, this reality is borne out by the thousands of damaged and destroyed schools, tens of thousands of child soldiers, hundreds of thousands of teachers working without regular pay, and millions of students out of school. Mere numbers, however, are not sufficient …

A Year in Patriarchy: Key Setbacks in Yemeni Women’s Rights in 2024

Away from the Red Sea crisis that dominated the headlines of 2024, the space for female political and social actors in Yemen has continued to shrink, largely unchecked. Today, the distinction between the repression in areas controlled by the Houthis and those under the internationally recognized government is becoming increasingly blurred. In Houthi-controlled areas, a …

Landmines Exact a Heavy Toll on Yemeni Civilians

The story is familiar. Dina,[1] an eight-year-old girl, lost both her legs after stepping on a landmine designed to detonate under a weight exceeding eight kilograms. She had been eagerly awaiting her return to her home, situated close to a frontline between government and Houthi forces in Al-Durayhimi district, Hudaydah. Her father had assured her …

Forgotten Victims of Yemen’s War: The Plight of the Muhammashat

Executive Summary Members of the muhammasheen community remain among the most vulnerable victims of systemic injustice and suffering in Yemen, a situation made worse by the war. Ostracized and disparaged, the community’s women and girls (muhammashat) are particularly vulnerable. The nature of their work, which commonly entails begging, street-sweeping, and vending, brings them into public …

Opening the Road to Besieged Taiz City: Easing Travel vs. Continued Hardship

The strategic Al-Qasr road, connecting the heart of Taiz city to the eastern entrance of Al-Hawban, a major industrial area, was finally reopened on June 13, 2024, by the Houthi group (Ansar Allah). This development marked the end of a nine-year siege that had encircled Taiz from three sides. The reopening of the road has …

The Impact of War on Youth Activism in Yemen

Executive Summary Youth form a distinct social group in Yemeni political culture. After experiencing marginalization and manipulation during the era of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the 2011 revolution gave hope for a new era of inclusion in which political parties would take Yemeni youth seriously as stakeholders and decision-makers on senior committees. Young activists were …

Socotra’s Forgotten Travelers

Yemen’s civil war has cast a shadow over Socotra, the Indian Ocean archipelago governorate, and the daily lives of its residents. Before the war began in 2014, there were three flights to and from the islands. The first was operated by Yemenia Airways, the second by small local operator Felix Airways, and the third by …

The Uphill Struggle for Yemeni Women in Academia

April 27 marked the 13th anniversary of the death of Dr. Raufah Hassan, one of Yemen’s most prominent academics, feminists, and activists. In 1993, she founded the first Women’s Studies Unit at Sana’a University, which later became the Empirical Research and Women’s Studies Center.[1] A pioneering undertaking of its time, the research center gained notoriety …
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