Since the unification of North and South
Yemen in 1994, Yemeni women have
faced new opportunities and new challenges to
independence and equality. A resurgence of
conservative values has encouraged women to
retreat from public life. At the same time,
democratic politics are open to women’s participation,
and the government has encouraged
them to play a larger role in the political process.
Female education in Yemen trails behind
many Arab countries. Female illiteracy remains
twice that of men, and women make up
barely a quarter of the workforce.
In recent years, Yemen has seen a surge in
women’s rights NGOs, including the Sana’a-based
SOUL for Development. WIT established a partnership
with SOUL in 2005, launching IT and
Professional Development courses and creating
Yemen’s first professional association for
women in IT. Since then, over 50 WIT participants
have obtained internships or employment
in banks, oil companies, NGOs, and academic
institutes, and over 3,000 community
members have attended presentations by WIT
participants.
In July 2006, WIT graduates established Yemen’s first Women’s IT Forum. The Forum currently has 117 members with branches in Sana’a, Taiz, Aden, and Hadramout.
WIT continued to expand to include partner organizations in Al Hodaida, Ibb, and Yarim, which also offered a range of programs for women’s social, economic, and personal development.
|
LOCAL PARTNERS
|
