A LONELY FIGHT FOR YEMEN’S ONLY FEMALE DELEGATE TO UN-BACKED TALKS

▶ Rana Ghanem says the burden of representing women’s issues in the war-torn country falls squarely on her

Women suffer greatly from the aftermath of war. I carry a lot of responsibilities – the status of Yemeni women RANA GHANEM Official of Yemen’s Nasser organisation

Women in Yemen are disproportionally affected by the conflict, but in this week’s UN-backed talks, only one Yemeni woman took part directly in peace negotiations.

“Women suffer greatly from the aftermath of war,” Rana Ghanem, assistant secretary of Yemen’s Nasser organisation and member of the government delegation, told The National on the sidelines of talks in Swedish town Rimbo.

“As the only woman among the delegates, I feel that I have to carry a lot of responsibilities, including the status and situation of Yemeni women,” she said.

Yemeni women are among those hit hardest by a conflict that has produced the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and killed thousands of civilians. Besides suffering from malnutrition and deteriorating health services, Yemeni women are also disproportionately affected by rape and other forms of sexual violence, which tend to increase during war.

Ms Ghanem said that the effect of war on women is often overlooked, noting that a growing number of women are losing husbands, fathers, siblings and other relatives because of the fighting.

“If there were more women in the delegation, this would have alleviated pressure [on me],” she said, explaining that she felt the burden of representing women’s issues fell solely on her.

Recent studies have shown that the inclusion of women in peace processes is essential to establishing lasting peace.

A study from the Council on Foreign Relations found that including women in negotiations makes the agreement 64 per cent less likely to fail. The same report showed that women’s participation in peace processes makes long-term agreements 35 per cent more likely to last for at least 15 years.

In an attempt to remedy the problem of weak female representation in this week’s Yemen talks, UN Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths invited a group of eight women to assist him during negotiations to set out a framework for ending the crisis.

The Yemeni Women’s Technical Advisory represents different political parties, civil society, activists and development workers in Yemen.

The advisory team did not engage directly in negotiations, but held meetings with the rival parties, members of the diplomatic community and Sweden’s foreign minister, the UN envoy’s office said on Wednesday.

Ms Ghanem said that one of the leading concerns for Yemen’s women was to identify the fate of those who had gone missing and secure the return of captives and prisoners.

She also said that female activists are concerned about women’s participation in peace talks. Previous sessions have secured 30 per cent representation for women in peace negotiations, but that has yet to materialise.

Ms Ghanem said that increased female participation was a leading demand.

The UN-backed talks in Sweden closed on Thursday, with warring parties agreeing on measures including a ceasefire for Hodeidah. The next round of talks is scheduled for January.