Yemen is one of the world’s worst countries for women.
Not least in women’s prisons.
TV4 has exclusively visited a women’s prison in the city of Taiz.
– I have served my sentence but have served an extra year, says one of the prisoners.
The small courtyard of the women’s prison in the city of Taiz in Yemen is small, swept and completely empty. Inside the rooms around the courtyard sit the condemned women. Some are convicted of murder, others for having themselves been exposed to sexual violence.
– I was drugged by my teacher and when I woke up I was covered in blood and he was standing in front of me in underwear, says “Halima” when TV4 gets an exclusive visit to the women’s prison.
The teacher filmed the proceedings and for four years has been threatening to show the film to her family, which would bring enormous shame to the family. When the man finally demanded that she fetch another girl from the family, “Halima” refused. The family and the police were notified, the man was arrested – and “Halima”.
– I am prepared to sacrifice myself to save other women. In the community, the clan tried to help the man but the police arrested him. Right now I feel safer here in prison, she says.
“The situation – one of the worst in the world”
The situation of women in Yemen is seen as one of the world’s worst, not least since the civil war began more than nine years ago. In the Houthi-controlled areas, it has been introduced that women must have a so-called maharam, a male companion. In the southern parts controlled by a governing coalition, women are overlooked politically, in the peace process and legally.
One example is that several of the women in prison are still there despite having served their sentence.
– I served my sentence a year ago. But there is no judge who has signed my release notice so I remain, says Aya.
According to women’s rights activist Afraa Al-Hariri, it is crucial that the outside world puts pressure on the various groups in Yemen, to involve the women in the peace process as well as in society.
– Right now there are no safe institutions for women in Yemen and we need to get more involved, she says.
FACTS: The war in Yemen
Since 2015, a civil war has been raging in Yemen, which the UN has for periods described as the worst in the world. There have been deep conflicts in Yemen for a long time and the country has been divided before. The population is divided between Sunni and Shia Muslims and various clans.
The ongoing conflict is between Yemen’s internationally recognized but fragmented government and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The war is often called a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
In 2018, negotiations took place between the groups in Stockholm and it was seen as a step forward that they talked even if the results were limited. In 2022, they managed to achieve a cease-fire, which has since been extended in rounds, despite the fact that it is often exceeded. At the moment, many hope that it will be possible to extend it further.
The war has led to Yemen being seen as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with over 4.5 million internally displaced people, 100,000s who have died from or because of the consequences of the war, 24 million people out of Yemen’s population of around 33 million are in need of humanitarian aid help.