Rahma Shanzour

Yemen — Coinciding with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, women’s voices in Yemen are growing louder to spotlight the reality of violence faced by women and girls, which has intensified due to the conflict and the deterioration of economic and social conditions.

Data from the United Nations Population Fund indicates that more than 6.2 million women and girls in Yemen are at risk of various forms of gender-based violence, including harmful practices.

From a human rights standpoint, organizations such as Human Rights Watch confirm that Yemeni women still suffer from clear legal discrimination, as they do not have equal rights in divorce, custody, or inheritance, making them more vulnerable to violence. The organization’s recently published rights report also notes that some authorities, particularly in areas controlled by armed groups, impose restrictions that limit women’s movement, preventing their access to work, education, or healthcare services.

 

“The conflict has increased violence, and women are deprived of their rights”

Yemeni journalist Asmaa Al-Samet believes that violence against women represents a “broad denial” of basic rights, noting that the roots of this violence go back decades — starting with child marriage, which remains widespread in many areas, and extending to the denial of education, work, and a dignified life for women.

The war has worsened this reality, doubling the forms of violence, especially online blackmail, which has become a psychological and social threat to women, driving some into depression and emotional collapse that in certain cases has led to suicide. “Even a woman’s mere presence in the street is now accompanied by fear of social judgment, which treats her presence or work as strange or unacceptable, especially in rural areas where many girls are prevented from completing their education or joining the workforce.”

Asmaa Al-Samet stresses that change begins with raising awareness within families and treating women as full human beings with the same rights as men — able to work, learn, and live without fear or restrictions.

 

Stripped Rights and Social Customs

Yemeni activist and media professional Sally Al-Nabhani says that violence against women manifests above all in “stripping them of their rights” and granting men legal and societal privileges that women do not receive. She explains: “When a woman has a legal case, she is rarely granted justice the way a man is, and even in employment benefits she does not receive what men receive — this is clear violence and discrimination.”

She pointed out that customs and traditions further increase restrictions, as many women are deprived of personal freedom and career choices, while the fields of work available to them are limited to specific sectors that do not reflect their true potential.

Sally Al-Nabhani believes that combating violence requires implementing binding laws that grant women the freedom to work and facilitate access to their rights, in addition to removing institutional barriers that make their path more difficult compared to men.

With the conflict ongoing and economic and social conditions worsening, Yemeni women remain among the most vulnerable groups, facing multiple forms of violence — from losing legal and social rights to enduring societal and psychological restrictions.

Testimonies from journalists and activists reveal the scale of daily suffering experienced by women and girls, from online extortion and psychological abuse to being deprived of education and employment. This makes the need for urgent legal and humanitarian protection impossible to postpone. Yet these testimonies also affirm that empowering women and raising community and legal awareness are the only path to confronting violence and building a more just and equal society.