An article written by Kira Walker for Equal Times discusses Yemeni women’s vital role as peacebuilders in the country. Below are some key points.
- Muna Luqman is a peace activist and founder of Food4Humanity, a women-led civil society organization that provides emergency relief, training and livelihood programmes;
- She instigated a mediation process in Al-Haymatain, a remote area of Yemen’s Taiz governorate well-known for disputes over the scarce resource, between 16 community representatives, who signed a local peace agreement, and formed a council to prevent future water conflicts;
- When it comes to Yemen, the UN has failed to ensure that women have a role shaping the future of their country. Despite the crucial work of Yemeni women building peace on the frontline of war, their efforts have been ignored and not adequately supported, and they remain excluded from crucial peace negotiations;
- Since the war began, gender-based violence has increased 63 per cent, while families driven further into poverty increasingly turn to child marriage as an economic coping strategy;
- As climate change is predicted to further increase pressure on Yemen’s water resources, and environmental degradation has been found to drive or exacerbate gender-based violence;
- Undeterred by the disproportionate challenges they face, Yemeni women have taken the lead in peacebuilding at the community level, says Rasha Jarhum, founder and director of Canada-based Peace Track Initiative;
- Women have been negotiating ceasefires, opening humanitarian corridors, providing aid and mediating disputes over land and water resources, among other issues.
Read the full article here.
