Fatima Rashad

Aden —Every year, Yemeni women gather under one roof to discuss their urgent issues during a women’s summit organized by the Wujood Foundation for Human Security. The summit is held annually in conjunction with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.

Speaking about the activities and events of the Eighth Women’s Summit, scheduled for early December, Maha Awad, Director of the Wujood Foundation for Human Security, said:

“The Women’s Summit is the most realistic platform for carrying out the largest women-led effort to shape the identity of a feminist, rights-based, and strategic movement—one capable of deepening the idea that much more still needs to be done to advance political and societal work in genuine partnership.”

She confirmed that the summit takes place over two days and addresses key national issues, including the peacebuilding process and the political track, in addition to economic files, transitional justice, and women’s rights protection. The summit will also cover topics related to climate change and climate justice, the civic space and ways to protect it, as well as the growing role and influence of the private sector in enhancing women’s participation.

Awad explained that the summit adopts an interactive approach in discussing its issues among participants, which has earned it wide regional and international attention, including strong engagement from international organizations. This interaction offers Yemeni women a real opportunity to present their issues in a way that reflects their lived reality. At the conclusion of the summit, a declaration known as the “Aden Declaration” will be issued.

She added:

“We are now preparing for the Eighth Women’s Summit, and we hope it will proceed without restrictions or challenges. Each summit comes with its own obstacles, but we work hard to overcome them.

Outputs of the Summit Each Year

Speaking about the summit and its outcomes, Awad noted:

“What distinguishes the Women’s Summit most are its outputs, which are built on the opinions, ideas, and perspectives exchanged among participants. I would like to emphasize the diversity of participation—from young women to men and youth. There is no single mold; participation itself needs to be continually defined.”

She clarified that participation in the Yemeni Women’s Summit reflects wide diversity in age, background, expertise, profession, and geography—ensuring that no group is excluded. This diversity forms the basis of the summit’s outcomes. The coordinating committee works to deliver these recommendations to all relevant officials, starting with the political leadership and extending to ministers and government bodies.

She stressed the importance of serious engagement and commitment to implementing the outcomes because they emerge from people’s voices and reflect their daily needs. She pointed out that the topics discussed recently—such as the economy, detainees and prisoners, civic space, and reopening roads—touch directly on citizens’ lives and therefore hold the highest priority in follow-up and implementation.

Demands of the “Women’s Uprising”

Awad highlighted the importance of linking the summit’s previous outcomes with recent events in Yemen, where women have taken to the streets in several cities demanding a dignified life and basic services. She explained that this year’s women-led protests were clearer and more organized, and their demands aligned closely with the priorities previously discussed in the Women’s Summit. For example, calls to lower currency inflation—raised earlier in the summit—were among the demands voiced by participating women, reflecting strong coherence between public action and summit recommendations.

She noted that issuing a statement in the name of the Women’s Summit is a positive step, but what matters most is taking practical actions to turn these recommendations into reality—mitigating people’s daily suffering and alleviating the ongoing livelihood crises. She emphasized that the summit’s recommendations form a structured framework for action, and efforts are now focused on disseminating these outcomes—especially those included in the Aden Declaration—early and in both Arabic and English, using all available channels.

Awad added that there has been noticeable engagement from the international community, with repeated requests to obtain the summit’s outcomes and the declaration’s recommendations—reflecting global interest in the event. However, she stressed that there is still a long way to go before these outcomes become reality, emphasizing the need for genuine political will and comprehensive support to ensure real change on the ground.

Looking Ahead to the Eighth Summit

This year, Yemeni women eagerly await the convening of the Eighth Women’s Summit, with their hopes set on achieving human justice in a nation exhausted by struggles for survival and decision-making. The harsh economic conditions have left everyone waiting for reforms—yet women remain the most affected by the country’s overlapping crises.

With the countdown to the summit now in its final days, Yemeni women raise their hopes for a better future—one that opens the doors to solutions for their unresolved issues and grants them the chance to live in a safe environment filled with compassion, opportunity, and peace above all.