Yemen’s women caught in middle of violations by Houthi militia

Sharif Abdel Zaher

The Iran-backed Houthi militia committed multiple violations against women in Yemen since overrunning most of the country in 2014. Tantamount to crimes, these violations included kidnappings, killing and enforced recruitment.

The Houthis kidnapped seven female school principals and took them to an unknown area, the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights said on March 18.

Human Rights Minister, Mohamed Askar, referred to Houthi violations against Yemeni women.

He said female prisoners in Houthi jails are the subject of horrendous crimes, including their deprivation of the simplest of their rights.

Yemeni Information Minister, Muammar al-Eriani, called on the international community to denounce the Houthi crimes.

According to the Yemeni Coalition for the Observation of Human Rights Violations, about 303 women were kidnapped by the Houthis between September 2014 and May 2019.

It said a large number of these women were kidnapped from Yemeni capital Sana’a. It added that the kidnapped women included some media workers.

The coalition noted that the kidnapped women also included 87 political activists, 30 university students and ten members of the Bahai minority.

It said a total of 204 women were kidnapped from Sana’a.

The Houthi militia tortured 87 women and killed 199 others as of 2018, the coalition said.

It added that the war has made Yemen’s women feel vulnerable and afraid for their own safety and the safety of their children and husbands.