YEMEN: Women Work for Peace in Yemen

More than 4,000 girls took part in the second social, cultural and sportive festival for women commenced last Sunday at Bilquis Club. Attending the huge celebration was Prime Minister Mr. Ali Mohammed Mujawar, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Hamoud Obad, minister of Culture Mohammed al-Meflahi, Minister of State and Mayor of the Capital, Abdul-Rahman al-Akwa and several other Yemeni leaders. The festival will last for ten days and consists of several activities oriented around women's issues. The festival demonstrates the continued support of the General Department for Women at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

It also shows cooperation between several governmental and civil society institutions, as well as private sector support. Four thousand women from several Yemeni governorates are participating in the festival.

The festival is based on the motto, "Women are social peace makers." It is a humanitarian event and 50% of its profit will go to displaced women in Sa'adah, helping to decrease their suffering. The other 50% will go to breast cancer patients.

It is estimated that there will be 50 visitors to the festival this year due to careful planning of the event.

"Yemeni women, with the president's support, are above the underpowered era and now they are empowered and taking advantage of what the government created for them. Yemeni women are doing their best to conduct descent work and honoring their community and society," said Mr. Ali Mohammed Mujawar in a speech given at the celebration.

"Setting financial donations from the income of the festival, demonstrates how women are collaborating to help each other even if their men brothers are astray," added Mujawar.

Mr. Obad said that the significance of the festival lies in what it provides to the participants. "It's undeniable that there are many youth festivals but what distinguishes this festival from the others is its maximum care for women. This festival allows women to express their interests and creativeness without social limitations that could stop them from exercising their social participation."

Ms. Nora Alawi, general manger of female sports at the Ministry of Youth and Sports stated that women's sports are important in Yemen and that the society supports these activities under certain conditions. This festival is a space for women to exercise their social, cultural and sportive capacities.

The celebration consisted of music and dance sequences conducted by primary school female students. It also consisted of a photo gallery exhibition and exhibition of national artistic products.

The festival's program consists of several religious, cultural and sportive activities. Also included is training in riding horses, bicycles, playing volleyball, local games, competition on cooking, plays, art galleries, and other cultural activities the festival program throughout the ten days.