Mahram is a Houthi weapon against the women of Yemen

English - Tuesday 27 December 2022 الساعة 04:02 pm
Sana'a, NewsYemen, exclusive:

 The employee "F.N", one of the cadres who has been working in the Tax Authority in Sana'a for many years and whose service in the government job is nearing the end, was surprised and other female employees in the Authority by a decision issued by Houthi leaders to prevent their field exit to collect taxes from some sectors, utilities, and private and public agencies.

A move that employee “F” saw as unfair to her and to the women working in the interest who have been performing their duties with dedication, for many years.

According to the employee - who refused to disclose her identity for fear of being harmed, the Houthi leaders, who control the tax authority, provided many reasons for the ban, including the inadmissibility of women going out into the street without a mahram, and the need for them to stay in the offices so that they would not be a sedition in their movements, and other justifications that the Houthi leaders sought to submit it to pass its decision.

The employee responded to the Houthi justifications by saying that the field landing teams run by the Tax Authority for collection have become the monopoly of the Houthi elements that have been appointed in the authority, as these teams carry out extortion operations against merchants, businessmen, and other private institutions and companies and do not want anyone to participate in the descent  In order not to expose them.

She explained: "I and other female employees of the Authority used to go downstairs and perform our duties, and we would transfer the money collected to the government account. The Authority would pay us the bonus, allowances for landing, etc. These simple amounts covered our needs after the salaries were cut off by the Houthis themselves, who earn billions from tax authority.

Continuous restrictions imposed by the Houthi militia - Iran's arm in Yemen, in order to restrict women, starting with closing women's sports and recreation shops, cafes, beauty salons and hairdressers, to restricting women's movements and preventing their movement between Yemeni governorates without a Mahram, as described by the militias.

The unfair Houthi measures against Yemeni women are similar to the restrictions imposed by the terrorist organizations "ISIS and Al-Qaeda", the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, and the terrorist formations supported by Iran in the Arab region.

Yemeni women human rights defenders believe that these Houthi measures serve religious and political goals alike, and come to satisfy the more extremist wing of the Houthis.  The Houthis are also inspired by these restrictions from the Iranian model and the Taliban regime model to suppress any opposition voice and bring society to its knees.

Women are the target of Houthi

 Yemeni women continued to enjoy freedom of work and movement between governorates, without a mahram, and after the Houthi militia took control 8 years ago, women became a major target for these Iranian-backed militias, and they became subject to killing, kidnapping and heinous violations, as well as restricting their work and movements within the country according to strict social and religious rules and laws issued by the militias after they seized power.

Radhya Al-Mutawakel, a Yemeni human rights activist, founder and president of a Yemeni human rights organization, says that although Yemeni society has always been conservative, "this is the first time that a decision has been issued to limit women's freedom of movement by an official authority."

According to Al-Mutawakel, moving around or traveling with a Mahram sets a “very dangerous” precedent that particularly punishes working women with a general tendency to limit their presence in the public space.

Al-Mutawakel confirms that there is great resistance by the population and women in particular to the Houthis' attempts to Talibanize society, especially in Sana'a, which has always been known for its diverse population and the new generation of Yemenis who want to defend their rights.

But Al-Mutawakel says that it is a "long-term battle," explaining, "We do not know who will win this battle because in the end, people are fed up and exhausted."

 Heinous crimes against Yemeni women

 The violations and crimes committed by the Houthi militia against Yemeni women will remain a black point in the country's history, and generations will remember them for decades to come.  Since these Iranian-backed militias ignited the war against the Yemeni people in the summer of 2014, Yemeni women have been subjected to the most heinous crimes and violations.

Violations against women varied between psychological, social, economic and physical, and some of them amounted to murder and fabrication of criminal and immoral charges, and death sentences were issued. The suffering of Yemeni women will remain extended, especially for those who have lost their security and social status and are unable to return to practicing their social life.

 The Houthis manage crimes and violations through a women's wing known as the "Zainabiyyat". This wing carries out security tasks, raids, kidnappings, and visits government facilities, girls' schools, women's councils, and other women's gatherings in order to force them to implement Houthi measures and decisions.

The names of Houthi women leaders implicated in the violations and supervising the implementation of the targeting scheme against women in Sana'a and its countryside emerged, among them Ishraq al-Shami, Hanan al-Ezzi, Zahraa al-Hasani, Zainab al-Gharbani, Ibtisam al-Mahatwari, Ruqia al-Wazir, and others.

blatant violation

 In Sana'a, Samia Salem, 35, is unable to meet her husband, who works in Hadramout Governorate, after the Houthi militia refused to allow travel without a Mahram, as the militia sets many conditions in order to allow women to move from one governorate to another.

Mayon Human Rights Organization, describes these measures as a flagrant violation of human rights, of women and of the values and customs of Yemeni society. It is also a new repressive mechanism that violates the right of Yemeni women to move freely within their country.

In a statement issued by the organization, the organization confirmed that the Houthi group violates the right of Yemeni women to move and restores guardianship over women as a person who is not qualified to control his life.

The organization obtained official documents confirming the Houthi group's generalization of its security services to prevent the movement of women and their departure to any other areas unless there is a guardian (mahram) or obtaining a higher security approval that allows her to move.

It stressed that there are concerns about the seriousness of these decisions and violations against women and their rights, and this requires intervention by the international community to denounce this repressive mechanism implemented by the security services of the Houthi group, and to prevent its continuity.

Harassment of female employees of the United Nations

 The restriction of women's movements in Houthi-controlled areas also included female employees of United Nations organizations operating in Sana'a and areas controlled by Iran-backed militias, as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs "OCHA" in Yemen confirmed that there is a restriction of movements of women workers with the office in Yemeni governorates under Houthi control.  .

 The office said in a statement: The continued restrictions on movement hindered the ability of humanitarian workers to reach those in need in a timely and principled manner.

 It pointed out that the requirements of incest - male guardians accompanying female aid workers when traveling on missions - increased in areas controlled by the Houthi group, which greatly affected the field mission and the implementation of activities.

 It added that there were incidents of armed men expressing their objection to the mixing of men and women aid workers and demanded relief organizations to leave their areas, which led to the suspension of relief activities as a precautionary measure, which greatly affected the provision of aid and services to those in need.