Women and Yemeni political life [Archives:2006/981/Reportage]

By: Ramziya Abbas Al-Eryani
Yemeni women can participate in political affairs by joining political parties and participating in national development, which enhances their contributions to political, economic and cultural fields, thus proving their abilities in all decision-making posts.

Participation in political fields

Indicators and statistics show that Yemeni women continue to progress in holding political posts and that state strategies require women's presence in various fields – both political and developmental. Women leaders work toward spreading public awareness of the importance of women's presence on local councils, as they are more able to run neighborhoods and districts than men.

From the dawning of unification day, the light of individual and partisan freedom sprang, with political parties bringing out their orientations and aims. The General People's Congress (GPC) was the moderate party, with unification, development, reducing poverty and unemployment, finding job opportunities and setting strategic development plans as its main objectives.

Women and political parties

Women have participated in political affairs and have played remarkable roles in the election process. Political parties have a dual policy toward women: they are both candidates and voters. They promise to support women candidates, but their promises turn out to be unrealistic as they support them only as voters.

Low participation

There are various reasons for women's reduced participation in political affairs. The type of education rife in Yemen is characterized by dominance and perseverance, giving women a lower position than men. Even school textbooks figure prominently in fixing the concept favoring men and excluding women from decision-making posts, scientific status and effective participation in running society.

Social obstacles

– Although the government has approved various policies aimed at opening the way for women in democracy, social and cultural changes necessary for this to be effective haven't come about yet.

– Women candidates lack public support because Yemeni society hasn't given women sufficient confidence and estimation.

– With 70 percent illiteracy, women themselves are unaware of their rights. Some educated and cultured Yemenis have a false conscience toward women.

– Women are looked upon negatively, so they refuse to participate in political affairs.

– The way election campaigns are conducted doesn't comply with women's status, such as meeting with voters frequently to promote their campaigns and visiting election centers.

2006 local council elections

Political parties began preparing at the beginning of 2006 to ensure their candidates' success in the Sept. 20 elections.

The Yemeni Women's Federation (YWF) coordinated with political parties to train 200 women candidates from various political parties. However, when the candidacy period for the September elections began, the parties didn't fulfill their promises to support women candidates. Instead, the Yemeni Socialist Party and the Nasserite Unionist Party agreed with their partner, Islah, which didn't nominate any women for local council elections. The majority of women candidates were in the GPC.

For this reason, the YWF called for a march to the presidency house, an idea supported by the Women's National Committee, to protest against political parties that didn't fulfill their promises to support them in the local elections. Hundreds of women from various political parties participated in the march. President Ali Abdullah Saleh met with the protestors and promised to support them. As a result, the number of women candidates increased from 53 to 161.

The following is a list of women candidates at governorate and district levels:

1- General People's Congress: 37

2- Islah Party: 0

3- Yemeni Socialist Party: 11

4- National Democratic Front: 4

5- Green Social Party: 7

6- Nasserite Unionist Party: 3

7- Federation of Popular Forces: 1

8- Unionist Liberation: 2

9- Popular Liberation Forces: 1

10- Nasserite Democratic Party: 2

11- Nasserite Reform Party: 1

12- League of the Sons of Yemen: 2

13- Independents: 90

Total: 161
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