Pervasiveness of Gender inequality, GBV and poor SRH services:
According to a recent report by Amnesty International, Yemen is a country ranked last in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap index for 13 consecutive years; women have been suffering from deeply entrenched gender inequality rooted in a patriarchal society with rigid gender roles. While the conflict in Yemen has had a horrific impact on all civilians generally, women and girls have been disproportionately affected. Negative gender stereotypes and patriarchal attitudes, a discriminatory legal system, and economic inequality have compounded women’s vulnerability to violence. The fighting has left the country’s people struggling with a dire economic crisis, damaged infrastructure and collapsed services. But in addition, women have had to contend with limited mobility due to cultural gender norms. Also, since they are responsible for providing food and care in their homes, they have had to struggle with the challenges of limited (or lack of) access to food, water, sanitation and health care services – which has seen a steady deterioration as the conflict continues.
“According to Borgen Magazine, Thirty-five percent of Yemeni women have experienced physical or sexual assault. These high rates of sexual and physical violence are a result of damaging gender roles embedded within Yemini society. In Yemen, women are forced to wear niqabs, subject to child marriage, honor killings victims and face divorce shame.
Child marriages and divorce shame are particularly concerning in contexts where abuse is present. With child marriages, girls are young, vulnerable and subservient when sent off into marriage, increasing the likelihood of domestic violence and sexual assault by their partner. Furthermore, divorce shame prevents women from escaping abusive relationships due to social ostracization. As horrifying as abuse is in any context, Yemeni women have no authority to report the crimes with both formal and informal legal systems discriminating against women.
Another consequence of structural gender inequality in Yemen is inadequate health care for girls and women.
Yemeni girls and women struggle for adequate health care due to disproportionate impoverishment, a lack of health education and underrepresentation in politics.”
A concrete consequence of poor female health care in Yemen is a radically high maternal mortality rate (MMR), with 43.2 per 1,000 live births. This rate, among other health factors, resulted in the 2018 HDI ranking Yemen as 177th in the world. Additionally, 18.5% of women suffer from female genital mutilation in Yemen. This procedure is immensely damaging, resulting in lifelong nerve damage and pain. Therefore, not only do women struggle to have access to health care, but the care they do receive is often detrimental to their overall health.