People all around the world use different approaches, tools and resources to modify their countries. Some tend to work on various issues which take a very long time to be solved, while others work only on specific ones that have a very limited time frame. They all share a common goal which is called positive change. I personally prefer to call it progress or development. For instance, Yemen is one of the countries which are really in need for development in different aspects. The current Yemeni situation is like a spider web created by issues that share several points of intersection. It’s very problematical and complicated. The issue that really fascinates me and I want it to be solved in the future is regarding women rights and their position in society.
Yemeni women have been facing very difficult obstacles and challenges that limit their lives and block their dreams. The Yemeni society is full of early marriage, lack of education, violence and professional discrimination against women. These problems are likely resulted by the traditions and customs especially in the rural areas where people are not educated and interpret the Islamic religion using cultural backgrounds and very limited mentalities. These issues affect the development directly and indirectly and keep the country under the category of the third world countries. “Yemen is like a man with a disability. He has only one leg which is the man and lacks the other which is the woman” – said a Yemeni women rights activist describing the current Yemeni situation.
As a male feminist, I believe in complete political, social, and economic equality between women and men which empower them to play an equivalent and effective role in creating a better country and implementing equal rights in society. I dream to see my country in the future with limitation of the age of marriage; above 18 years old, encouraging families and societies to allow their daughters to finish their higher education, creating equal professional opportunities for women and men, and making laws that ensure women rights against any kind of violence, and sexual harassment in public or private locations. In the present, there are very active society members who fight the cultural background against women and the rusty mentalities, in order to initiate change and build a better future. They organize workshops, forums or use social media to reach different levels in society from both genders.
Feminism is a solution for one of Yemen’s problems, there are many other problems that the society forbids the public to think, talk about or discuss them. The priority of each issue is different from one person to another. Some might say education, others might say health care and others might also say the unification. Personally, I believe one of the main factors for this world to be successful is our mothers, whom the prophet Mohammed mentioned that heaven is under their feet. Therefore, by drawing public attention to inequality between women and men and to the structures within society will help creating a dynamic and equal future for Yemen by both genders.
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