Sana'a: Illiteracy among Yemeni women is still very high despite external and internal efforts to eradicate it, a senior UN official said.
More than 75 per cent of women living in rural areas are illiterate, and more than 40 per cent of urban women, according to recent statistics of the Sanaa-based Unicef.
About 70 per cent of Yemen's population of 22 million live in rural areas.
Unicef regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Sigrid Kaag, told Gulf News in an exclusive interview in Sanaa concerted efforts were needed to overcome the many challenges facing women.
"We can't say Yemen is there yet, but that is not the major question; the question is about leadership and the courage to speak out about issues that are important to women," said Kaag.
She was on her first visit to Yemen since she assumed responsibility as Unicef director for about 20 countries in the region earlier this year. She is based in Amman, Jordan.
"It is a process of change and transformation," she said.
The UN official confirmed there was a wide gap between women in rural and urban areas in terms of access to education, health and other basic services.
Women in rural areas have very little access to these services. They sometimes work up to 16 hours per day on farms, carrying water and wood, and doing household chores.
"We need to focus on and accelerate the provision of education and health services in rural areas," the UN official said.
Child trafficking is very common from Yemen to its wealthy neighbour, Saudi Arabia. Poverty, domestic violence and illiteracy among parents are the main reasons for this.
Unicef has helped the Yemeni government tackle these issues in the past.
"The government and Unicef have taken steps towards building reception centres and helping trafficked children reintegrate into society," she said.
A recently established reception centre in Sanaa can accommodate as many as 60 victims of child trafficking.
Thousands of children are trafficked every year to Saudi Arabia for begging and working. They are deported back home almost on a daily basis.
Unicef also helps Yemen tackle child labour. Recent official reports have shown that some 3 million children, half of them girls, are working in Yemen.
Some 92 per cent of these children work in agriculture. The law which bans child labour in about 70 hazardous jobs does not apply to agriculture.
Kaag said Unicef would do a survey on poverty in Yemen, which is one of the main causes of child labour in the country.
Source: Gulf News
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