Organized by the Arab Democratic Institute (ADI) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the First Yemeni Conference for Resisting Violence Against Women (RVAW) was held during 5-7 December at the Central Organization for Control and Audit in Sanaa.

The opening session was attended by the Minister of Culture, Mr. Abdul-malik Mansoor; the UNDP resident representative in Yemen, Mr. Onder Yucer; the information deputy Minister, Ms. Amatal Aleem Al-Susuwah; the deputy minister of Social Affairs, the Dutch Ambassador in Sanaa, and other officials. Also attending was a large gathering of Yemenis and expatriates interested in the subject.

During the five sessions of the conference, several issues were discussed including revenge, attitude towards violence against women, violence in the family and at school, etc. Several religious and social elders presented the issue of violence against women from religious and cultural points of view, and the role of social restablishments in fighting violence.
Several intellectuals representing governmental, non-governmental and international institutions and university faculties participated with nearly 20 papers. At the end of every session, there were recaps to the topics discussed.
At the end of its deliberations, the conference called for the following:
1. To revie existing laws with a view to amending them to better serve equality between men and women;
2. To survey hospitals about cases of violence in which women are involved;
3. To promote equal opprtunities among men and women in public service institutions;
4. To issue the necessary law to prohibit violence in schools;
5. To found a new, independent NGO to look into cases of violence in society, especially against women and children'
6. To give women the chance to participate in social and political life;
7. To issue legal measures to prohibit early marriages (childhood ages);
8. To found a new cultural establishment to activate cultural awareness on women's issues;
9. To take serious efforts towards upgrading the living conditions of women in rural areas;
10. To include issues of human rights, especially women's rights, in school curriculums.

By: Nadwa Al-Dawsari
Yemen Times

 

In the old days, society viewed the disabled as people possessed by evil spirits. They thought that they brought disease and death. At the very least, they thought that such diseases were a sign of sinful people. Therefore, the handicapped used to be killed in order to make society safe.
Religious leaders and wise came to change such ideas, but their impact has often been short-lived and limited.

In the last few decades, with better understanding and more knowledge, humanity began to take special care of the disable - opening hospitals, shelters and other institutions. Laws were issued to insure the rights of the disabled to have their own role in societies. In fact, it has been announced that the coming century will be dedicated to the disabled.

On observing the World Disabled Day, Aden city took one more step to live up to its duty towards the disabled. The governor inaugurated a rehabilitation center which includes, among other things, a 3 production-line and a weaving workshop. The event was attended by Mr. Fouad Gohary, representative of the Canadian Development Program in Yemen,which donated the equipment for the physio-therapy section. Other sponsors include Rashad Hayel Saeed, Hassan Ba-Ma'aroof, the UNDP and the Ministry of Social Affairs. The Yemeni government gave US $8,500 to support this project.
The Disabled Rehabilitation Center is located in Al-Sha'ab quarter.

By: Yousuf Al-Sharif
Yemen Times, Aden