The Yemeni Women's Union (YWU) is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in 1990. Its purpose is to promote women's civil rights and to empower women in Yemen. The current chairperson of the Yemeni Women's Union is Fathiye Abdullah.[1]
The YWU is headquartered in Sana'a and has 22 different branch offices and 132 smaller offices throughout Yemen.[2] Each branch offers women microcredit projects, literacy, health care and vocational training programs.[3] Branches have also conducted legal workshops for women on commercial and tax laws.[4] Other workshops have covered amendments to marriage laws and custody rights for women.[5]
There are about thirty-two staff members and ten "elected volunteers" at the Executive Office.[2] Many YWU branches include men in their outreach, citing that women's problems in Yemen "cannot be resolved without men's support."[6]
The YWU runs shelters with undisclosed locations to protect women who have fled from violent or abusive family situations.[7] The YWU also runs a hotline which allows women to report domestic abuse so that they can be "transferred to a safe house and assigned an attorney."[8]
Literacy and education are also important to the mission of YWU. The organization manages over 10% of all literacy classes in Yemen and helps raise awareness about the importance of education for women.[9]
The YWU also helped establish the country's first detention center run exclusively by women in 2005 and helped release 450 women from police custody in 2004 and 2005.[10] YWU also helped change a law which did not allow women to be released from prison unless they were "collected by a male guardian."[11]
YWU is also active politically and in religious matters. In 2008, when Muslim clerics issued a fatwa against women running for office, YWU's former chairperson, Ramziya al-Iryani, responded stating that the fatwa was "against Islam, against equality between men and women stipulated by the Quran."[12] Another issue YWU has been involved with politically has been on the question of allowing the use and cultivation of qat.[13]
Historyedit
During the Unification of North and South Yemen, the women's organizations from both countries were merged. The northern branch was the Yemeni Women's Association, officially founded in 1965, though it already existed informally under the imamate.[14] In South Yemen the General Union of Yemeni Women (GUYW) was established in 1968, continuing the role of the Arab Women's Club and the Aden Women's Association before independence.[3] The project to merge these groups was supposed to take two months, but instead, it took nearly a year to merge into the Yemeni Women's Union.[15] Some of the difficulties in unifying the groups was due to political differences: the southern branch was Marxist and the northern branch was controlled by women who worked with the Islah Reform Party.[3] It wasn't until 2000 that the political differences between the members of the groups were resolved.[16]
The YWU was led by Amat Al Alim Alsoswa starting before its incorporation, from 1989 to 1991.[17]
In 2013, the combined membership of YWU was estimated at around 4,000 members.[3]
Referencesedit
^Al-Mohattwari, Asma (1 March 2015). "Yemeni Women Dream of an Equal, Modern and Stable State". National Yemen. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^ ab"Yemeni Women's Union". Nakweh. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^ abcdTalhami, Ghada Hashem (2013). Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 362. ISBN9780810868588.
^Department of State (2006). Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2006. United States Government. p. 2236. ISBN9781437905229. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^"YWU, German Embassy Discuss YWU Projects". Arabia 2000. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2015 – via Newspaper Source - EBSCO.
^Elsanousi, Madga Mohammed (2004). "Strategies and Approaches to Enhance the Roles of Men and Boys in Gender Equality: A Case Study from Yemen". In Ruxton, Sandy (ed.). Gender Equality and Men: Learning from Practice. Oxford: Oxfam GB. pp. 169–170. ISBN0855985143.
^Murray, Rebecca (5 January 2013). "Yemeni Women Struggle to Step Forward". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^Qaed, Samar (27 May 2013). "Need Help? Hotlines Provide Safe Space for Yemeni Women". Yemen Times. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^"Yemen Long Battle With Illiteracy". Yemen Post. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^Raab, Michaela (November 2012). Ending Violence Against Women: An Oxfam Guide. Oxford: Oxfam International. p. 6. ISBN9781780772318. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^Green, Duncan (2008). From Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States Can Change the World. Oxford: Oxfam International. p. 98. ISBN9780855985936.
^"Yemeni Group Slams Fatwa Banning Female MPs". Al Arabiya News. 21 July 2008. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^Al-Sakkaf, Nadia (28 August 2014). "Politics of Qat by Peer Gatter: The Long Awaited Conference on Qat - 2002". Yemen Times. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
^Marina De Regt (2007). Pioneers Or Pawns?: Women Health Workers and the Politics of Development in Yemen. Syracuse University Press. p. 103. ISBN978-0-8156-3121-7.
^Manea, Elham (2011). The Arab State and Women's Rights: The Trap of Authoritarian Governance. New York: Routledge. p. 119. ISBN9780415617734.
^Burrowes, Robert D. (2010). Historical Dictionary of Yemen (2nd ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 188. ISBN9780810855281.
^"Amat Al Alim Alsoswa". Center for International Private Enterprise. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
External linksedit
Official Site (in English)
January 01, 1970
yemeni, women, union, governmental, organization, founded, 1990, purpose, promote, women, civil, rights, empower, women, yemen, current, chairperson, fathiye, abdullah, ittihad, nisaa, yamanabbreviationywuformation1990typenon, governmental, organizationpurpose. The Yemeni Women s Union YWU is a Non Governmental Organization NGO founded in 1990 Its purpose is to promote women s civil rights and to empower women in Yemen The current chairperson of the Yemeni Women s Union is Fathiye Abdullah 1 Yemeni Women s UnionIttihad Nisaa al YamanAbbreviationYWUFormation1990TypeNon governmental organizationPurposehumanitarianism and activism for women in YemenHeadquartersSana aWebsitehttp yemeniwomen orgContents 1 About 2 History 3 References 4 External linksAbout editThe YWU is headquartered in Sana a and has 22 different branch offices and 132 smaller offices throughout Yemen 2 Each branch offers women microcredit projects literacy health care and vocational training programs 3 Branches have also conducted legal workshops for women on commercial and tax laws 4 Other workshops have covered amendments to marriage laws and custody rights for women 5 There are about thirty two staff members and ten elected volunteers at the Executive Office 2 Many YWU branches include men in their outreach citing that women s problems in Yemen cannot be resolved without men s support 6 The YWU runs shelters with undisclosed locations to protect women who have fled from violent or abusive family situations 7 The YWU also runs a hotline which allows women to report domestic abuse so that they can be transferred to a safe house and assigned an attorney 8 Literacy and education are also important to the mission of YWU The organization manages over 10 of all literacy classes in Yemen and helps raise awareness about the importance of education for women 9 The YWU also helped establish the country s first detention center run exclusively by women in 2005 and helped release 450 women from police custody in 2004 and 2005 10 YWU also helped change a law which did not allow women to be released from prison unless they were collected by a male guardian 11 YWU is also active politically and in religious matters In 2008 when Muslim clerics issued a fatwa against women running for office YWU s former chairperson Ramziya al Iryani responded stating that the fatwa was against Islam against equality between men and women stipulated by the Quran 12 Another issue YWU has been involved with politically has been on the question of allowing the use and cultivation of qat 13 History editDuring the Unification of North and South Yemen the women s organizations from both countries were merged The northern branch was the Yemeni Women s Association officially founded in 1965 though it already existed informally under the imamate 14 In South Yemen the General Union of Yemeni Women GUYW was established in 1968 continuing the role of the Arab Women s Club and the Aden Women s Association before independence 3 The project to merge these groups was supposed to take two months but instead it took nearly a year to merge into the Yemeni Women s Union 15 Some of the difficulties in unifying the groups was due to political differences the southern branch was Marxist and the northern branch was controlled by women who worked with the Islah Reform Party 3 It wasn t until 2000 that the political differences between the members of the groups were resolved 16 The YWU was led by Amat Al Alim Alsoswa starting before its incorporation from 1989 to 1991 17 In 2013 the combined membership of YWU was estimated at around 4 000 members 3 References edit Al Mohattwari Asma 1 March 2015 Yemeni Women Dream of an Equal Modern and Stable State National Yemen Retrieved 5 August 2015 a b Yemeni Women s Union Nakweh Retrieved 5 August 2015 a b c d Talhami Ghada Hashem 2013 Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa Lanham Maryland Scarecrow Press Inc p 362 ISBN 9780810868588 Department of State 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2006 United States Government p 2236 ISBN 9781437905229 Retrieved 5 August 2015 YWU German Embassy Discuss YWU Projects Arabia 2000 24 August 2009 Retrieved 5 August 2015 via Newspaper Source EBSCO Elsanousi Madga Mohammed 2004 Strategies and Approaches to Enhance the Roles of Men and Boys in Gender Equality A Case Study from Yemen In Ruxton Sandy ed Gender Equality and Men Learning from Practice Oxford Oxfam GB pp 169 170 ISBN 0855985143 Murray Rebecca 5 January 2013 Yemeni Women Struggle to Step Forward Inter Press Service Retrieved 5 August 2015 Qaed Samar 27 May 2013 Need Help Hotlines Provide Safe Space for Yemeni Women Yemen Times Retrieved 5 August 2015 Yemen Long Battle With Illiteracy Yemen Post 7 March 2013 Retrieved 5 August 2015 Raab Michaela November 2012 Ending Violence Against Women An Oxfam Guide Oxford Oxfam International p 6 ISBN 9781780772318 Retrieved 5 August 2015 Green Duncan 2008 From Poverty to Power How Active Citizens and Effective States Can Change the World Oxford Oxfam International p 98 ISBN 9780855985936 Yemeni Group Slams Fatwa Banning Female MPs Al Arabiya News 21 July 2008 Retrieved 5 August 2015 Al Sakkaf Nadia 28 August 2014 Politics of Qat by Peer Gatter The Long Awaited Conference on Qat 2002 Yemen Times Retrieved 5 August 2015 Marina De Regt 2007 Pioneers Or Pawns Women Health Workers and the Politics of Development in Yemen Syracuse University Press p 103 ISBN 978 0 8156 3121 7 Manea Elham 2011 The Arab State and Women s Rights The Trap of Authoritarian Governance New York Routledge p 119 ISBN 9780415617734 Burrowes Robert D 2010 Historical Dictionary of Yemen 2nd ed Lanham Maryland Scarecrow Press Inc p 188 ISBN 9780810855281 Amat Al Alim Alsoswa Center for International Private Enterprise Retrieved 5 August 2015 External links editOfficial Site in English Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Yemeni Women 27s Union amp oldid 1119528935, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
