Yemen: Lifting the Voices of Yemen’s Women and Youth

Internews

(November 12, 2008) In 2007, Yemen ranked last out of the 128 countries considered in the World Economic Forum’s annual Gender Gap Index, signifying the persistence of serious gender-based inequalities.

To address these inequalities and bring women’s voices to the fore, Internews Network is empowering Yemeni youth and media professionals to explore sensitive issues concerning gender, society, and human rights.

In partnership with the Yemeni Women’s Media Forum (YWMF), Internews Network has begun holding a series of town hall meetings across Yemen to address these issues. Young people and professional journalists will be trained in radio production through the project, “Yemeni Voices: Women and Youth in Support of Free Media.” The project will culminate with the production of 15 thirty-minute radio programs, which will be aired on national and mainstream media.

Internews and the Yemeni Women’s Media Forum held the first town hall meeting in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, on October 22. Over 30 different organizations and NGOs were represented by more than 50 delegates from across Sana'a.

The participants formed three working groups to discuss topics for the radio programs in the areas of education, health, the environment, and human rights. Each group offered 12 to 15 ideas for future production. Suggested program topics ranged from child marriage to the use of weapons in Sana’a neighborhoods.

Participants were universally enthusiastic about the program. "The idea of creating working groups and coming up with results is the best way to show the transparency of the programs, and I hope that at least one of my ideas will be realized with this project through a real radio program," said Radia Khairan, a member of the Hood Organization.

“Yemeni Voices: Women and Youth in Support of Free Media” is supported by a grant from the US Department of State.