The Yemeni constitution declares Islam to be the state religion. Non-Muslims are excluded from the election. The Yemeni legal system is a mixture of Islamic legal principles, ancient Egyptian laws, and Napoleonic codes. Islamic legal principles are applied in all courts – not just Sharia courts. [1] Local laws reflect the fact that Yemen is an Islamic country. You must respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be aware of your actions to ensure that they do not offend other cultures or religious beliefs, especially during the holy month of Ramadan or if you intend to visit religious areas. See instructions for traveling during Ramadan. Just because you can do something in the UK doesn`t mean it`s acceptable in another country. Be careful when traveling that you know the laws.
Strange to you is always illegal for them. The mixture explains. With Saudi women behind the wheel since Saturday to protest their country`s refusal to issue female driver`s licenses, they are challenging not only long-standing restrictions but also a broader system of Saudi gender-specific laws that are among the strictest in the world. It is essential that any United Nations action be based on a broader framework to combat gender discrimination through a national process of legislative reform that would address long-standing violations of women`s human rights. The Yemeni government must take effective measures to increase women`s political participation, address systemic and discriminatory laws and practices, protect women`s right to equality with men and protection from all forms of discrimination, and address underlying social and cultural attitudes that discriminate against women. The Yemeni authorities must also guarantee and strengthen the protection of women against violence and discrimination inside and outside their homes. 6. Yemen: Women are not allowed to leave the house without their husbands` permission. Yemen, where this law remains in force, allows some emergency exceptions, says Begum: For example, if the woman has to go out to care for her sick parents. Another woman told me: « I was travelling with three children when we were stopped at a checkpoint by Huthi troops. They hugged us tight, with no food or water in very hot weather. We begged them to let us pass, but they refused.
They insulted us and threatened us with rape. We panicked and started crying. When they finished with us, they left us on the street at night in a remote and isolated area. We were afraid, and the children were afraid. Here are nine other notable legal restrictions against women, from Asia to Latin America: According to dominant gender roles, men are recognized as « protectors » of women and families; Without the male parent, women are more vulnerable to sexual and physical violence. In this context, an unsupervised woman is at increased risk of violence at checkpoints. One of the tactics used by the de facto Huthi authorities at checkpoints is to shave their heads, especially new wives traveling between governorates to meet their husbands. In this society, a woman is expected not only to take care of her husband, but also to physically appeal to her husband. In most cases, these women are divorced, ashamed and suffer from psychological distress. Victims of violence such as head shaving are often reluctant to report abuse because they fear backlash from their own community and security officials. « Many of the worst things come from legal or de facto guardianship systems, » said Rothna Begum, researcher on women`s rights in the Middle East and North Africa for human rights group Human Rights Watch. « By God, I am broken from within.
It`s not normal, I don`t feel like a human being. I can`t breathe properly like everyone else. We suffer from forced niqab, child marriage, the shame of divorce, domestic violence and honour killings. I don`t know. as if we were aliens. They [male family members] must oppress us and we must remain oppressed – like a puppet controlled by strings. It is difficult to obtain information about blasphemy in Yemen because government authorities severely restrict press freedom. Human rights violations are commonplace. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Law No. on Press and Publications. 25 for 1990 prohibits the publication of material that: may interfere with Islam; endanger national interests; provoke tribal, sectarian, racial or regional discrimination and spread a spirit of dissent and division among peoples; disseminating ideas that contradict the principles of the Yemeni revolution; undermine national unity; and distort the image of Yemeni, Arab or Islamic heritage. [1] This is what a Yemeni woman told me on the phone when her trembling voice reflected the sadness, pain and fear that women in Yemen experience on a daily basis.
Over the past three months, as a member of Amnesty International`s Yemen team, I have spoken to Yemeni women in Maarib, Taiz and Sana`a about the types of violence women face as they become more empowered and their gender roles change. A UN-backed initiative led to the creation of the Women`s Peace and Security Pact in Yemen, which includes an advisory board of 60 women. The pact aims to empower women in leadership positions, increase participation and inclusion in negotiations. The Compact also acts as an advisory body to the Office of the UN Special Envoy. While the initiative is a positive and important step, it should serve as a platform to amplify the voices of those most affected by the conflict by ensuring the inclusion of Yemeni women in peace talks. The challenge remains to make such a positive initiative a reality on the ground. The rights and needs of women and girls will remain in the shadows and, without a gender agenda, peace in Yemen will be hindered.
