Geneva – On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated in a press release that women in Yemen have been continuously subjected to systematic violations since the outbreak of the armed conflict in September 2014. The organization highlighted the absence of legal protections, which leaves women and girls perpetually vulnerable to violence and discrimination. SAM called for the enactment of strict legislation to combat violence against women and the establishment of legal mechanisms to ensure women's access to justice.

SAM emphasized that Yemeni women endure systematic violence due to the ongoing conflict, now in its ninth year. Women and girls face numerous threats, including indiscriminate shelling, forced displacement, and human rights abuses such as sexual violence and exploitation. Reports indicate that 7.1 million women across Yemen require urgent protection and assistance due to the decade-long war. Alarming statistics underline the magnitude of the crisis, with SAM documenting over 5,000 violations against women by the end of 2022, including 1,100 killings and 2,200 injuries.

The organization also pointed to extreme abuses against women, including executions. It cited the December 2023 case of Yemeni activist Fatima Al-Arwoli, sentenced to death by the Houthi-controlled Specialized Criminal Court in Sana’a on fabricated charges of espionage and collaboration with an adversary. During her trial, Fatima was denied adequate legal representation, reflecting the grave human rights violations pervasive in Yemen’s judicial system.

SAM documented harrowing accounts of arbitrary detention and torture of women in Houthi prisons, where detainees are held in secret locations under dire conditions. Witness testimonies reveal the use of brutal torture methods, including sexual assault, electric shocks, beatings, and deprivation of food and water.

The organization highlighted the persistent political marginalization of Yemeni women, noting that no women hold positions in the Presidential Leadership Council, as prime minister, or as ministers of defense or foreign affairs. Women face systemic discrimination in accessing leadership roles due to restrictive cultural norms and unfair legal frameworks, depriving society of their potential contributions.

SAM also pointed to a worsening health crisis for Yemeni women, with severe shortages in basic medical services. It estimates that one woman dies during childbirth every two hours and that 12.6 million women in Yemen need reproductive health and life-saving protection services.

The organization stressed the significant impact of the war on girls’ education, with primary school enrollment rates dropping to 73.97% and completion rates to 36%. More than two million school-aged children, including girls, are out of school due to poverty, conflict, and lack of opportunities.

SAM noted that women and children account for approximately 76% of Yemen's internally displaced population, including over one million displaced women, most of whom face acute shortages of essential and health services. Girls are increasingly at risk of early marriage, exploitation, and violence.

The organization highlighted additional challenges faced by Yemeni women, including restrictions on freedom of movement in Houthi-controlled areas. Since 2017, the Houthis have imposed travel restrictions, including requiring women to be accompanied by a male guardian (“mahram”), which has limited their access to work opportunities in NGOs, UN agencies, and higher education.

SAM emphasized the absence of adequate legislation to protect women from violence, both at home and in society. Local laws remain riddled with loopholes regarding women’s rights, leaving them exposed to constant violence and discrimination. Conflict parties, particularly the Houthis, exploit vague and tradition-based legal provisions to justify violations of women's rights.

In its conclusion, SAM called for urgent action from the international community and Yemeni stakeholders to end these violations, protect women’s rights, and uphold their dignity. The organization urged decisive measures, including enhancing legal and legislative protections by enacting strict laws to combat violence against women, criminalizing domestic violence, and ensuring legal mechanisms for women’s access to justice. It also stressed the need to reform Yemeni laws to ensure gender equality and safeguard women from all forms of violence in accordance with international conventions signed by Yemen.

SAM further called on the international community to intensify efforts to support Yemeni women by pressuring conflict parties to release arbitrarily detained women, hold perpetrators accountable, and end gender-targeted violations. It underscored the necessity of respecting women’s rights and ensuring their political participation, asserting that building a new Yemen is impossible without active involvement of women in a safe, violence-free, and non-discriminatory environment.