The women’s movement in Yemen and women’s organizations worked to support the active participation of females in the elections of 2006 and politics in general. Many workshops and forums were organized with this goal towards women’s issues and to help them reach the ranks of Parliament and play a serious role in their country’s political arena.
Recently, a workshop, organized by various civil society organizations focused on women’s issues, was held in al-Kukala of Hadramout. Over 20 participants and trainers attended, holding such training sessions that were oriented on ways and strategies to support women’s issues. The result of this workshop was to create a forum to support women’s issues and facilitate their participation in the upcoming elections of 2009.
Recently, a workshop, organized by various civil society organizations focused on women’s issues, was held in al-Kukala of Hadramout. Over 20 participants and trainers attended, holding such training sessions that were oriented on ways and strategies to support women’s issues. The result of this workshop was to create a forum to support women’s issues and facilitate their participation in the upcoming elections of 2009.
Workshop Participants
President Salah, among others, have expressed support in a quota system that would guarantee women 15 percent of the seats in Parliament. However, opponents to this system argue that its introduction would require a major legislative effort and prefer the status quo, yet a study completed by Khaled al-Anesi, executive director of the National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms (HOOD), found that the quota system could be enacted without major changes to the law.
Approximately 42 percent of Yemeni women, nearly four million, are registered voters, but even with such a number of voting women, the elections of 2006 saw little women elected or even candidates to political positions. Of the several thousand local council seats to be elected, only a few dozen women were accepted as candidates and even fewer elected.
The Deputy Governor of Hadramout, Awadh Abdullah, praised awareness programs such as this workshop that aim to participation in women’s issues and strengthen their political role. He said that the local authority is ready to provide civil society organizations with the facilities to enable them to do their social duty in the best way possible.
Reem Radman, the organizer of the training workshop, talked about the strategies of the workshop and how it aims to support women so that they can seriously participate in 2009 elections. She said that programs have been held since December 2007 that target many different governorates, including Dhamar, al-Kukala and Taiz. Members of civil society organizations from these governorates are trained and encouraged to form a team within their organizations to promote participation or women.
She also added that a team of lawyers and those interested in law will also be formed to formulate law strategies during the training and the supporting campaign.
At a political workshop, participants had an oppurtunity to question a panel of experts.In the opening seminar of the workshop, participants talked about how the number of women nominees has decreased, while the number of women voters has risen.
They placed an emphasis on including a quota system in Yemeni law in order to be sure of the participation of women in elections and enable them to reach Parliament. Following the introduction, the next activity of this program was a training course for people interested in supporting women’s issue in Sana’a. It resulted it the establishment of a forum consisting of ten organizations, as well as the formation of a team of lawyers, including Khalid al-Ansi and others.
Dr. Raufa Hassan, executive director of the Cultural Development Planning Foundation, gave speeches about the significance of civil society organizations working together in order to reach their goal of increasing women’s participation in the upcoming election.
Abdullah Ba Wazir, the director of the services committee in the Al-Kukala local council, spoke about the importance of supporting women in all fields and how they can reach the highest ranks if encouraged.
Dr. Ahmed Ba Mashmus, the director of Hadramout University, agreed with Ba Wazir, adding that women should not only be voters who put men in the Parliament, but they should also take part in the elections as candidates themselves.
At the end of the workshop, participants considered themselves the creators of the forum, with a firm goal to raise the participation of women in politics. They formed two teams with this goal in mind; one within their organizations, and the other covering the governorates.
-- News Varieties
President Salah, among others, have expressed support in a quota system that would guarantee women 15 percent of the seats in Parliament. However, opponents to this system argue that its introduction would require a major legislative effort and prefer the status quo, yet a study completed by Khaled al-Anesi, executive director of the National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms (HOOD), found that the quota system could be enacted without major changes to the law.
Approximately 42 percent of Yemeni women, nearly four million, are registered voters, but even with such a number of voting women, the elections of 2006 saw little women elected or even candidates to political positions. Of the several thousand local council seats to be elected, only a few dozen women were accepted as candidates and even fewer elected.
The Deputy Governor of Hadramout, Awadh Abdullah, praised awareness programs such as this workshop that aim to participation in women’s issues and strengthen their political role. He said that the local authority is ready to provide civil society organizations with the facilities to enable them to do their social duty in the best way possible.
Reem Radman, the organizer of the training workshop, talked about the strategies of the workshop and how it aims to support women so that they can seriously participate in 2009 elections. She said that programs have been held since December 2007 that target many different governorates, including Dhamar, al-Kukala and Taiz. Members of civil society organizations from these governorates are trained and encouraged to form a team within their organizations to promote participation or women.
She also added that a team of lawyers and those interested in law will also be formed to formulate law strategies during the training and the supporting campaign.
At a political workshop, participants had an oppurtunity to question a panel of experts.In the opening seminar of the workshop, participants talked about how the number of women nominees has decreased, while the number of women voters has risen.
They placed an emphasis on including a quota system in Yemeni law in order to be sure of the participation of women in elections and enable them to reach Parliament. Following the introduction, the next activity of this program was a training course for people interested in supporting women’s issue in Sana’a. It resulted it the establishment of a forum consisting of ten organizations, as well as the formation of a team of lawyers, including Khalid al-Ansi and others.
Dr. Raufa Hassan, executive director of the Cultural Development Planning Foundation, gave speeches about the significance of civil society organizations working together in order to reach their goal of increasing women’s participation in the upcoming election.
Abdullah Ba Wazir, the director of the services committee in the Al-Kukala local council, spoke about the importance of supporting women in all fields and how they can reach the highest ranks if encouraged.
Dr. Ahmed Ba Mashmus, the director of Hadramout University, agreed with Ba Wazir, adding that women should not only be voters who put men in the Parliament, but they should also take part in the elections as candidates themselves.
At the end of the workshop, participants considered themselves the creators of the forum, with a firm goal to raise the participation of women in politics. They formed two teams with this goal in mind; one within their organizations, and the other covering the governorates.
-- News Varieties
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