Empowering women in political participation and peace building

Young people in general, and women in particular, suffer from a weakness in political participation and from inclusion in the political process, Since the role of women for decades has been confined to a narrow scope - if not non-existent in the literature of some political parties. Young Leaders Development Foundation has taken the lead in enhancing the role of women in all political, social and economic levels, by enhancing the political participation of the Yemeni women leadership, by strengthening communication between active players In the political field, promoting the role of women in a policy-friendly environment, targeting women who are already involved in politics and parties, and has launched a national conference to bring together key players in politics from various parties and related entities, to discuss challenges and explicitly recommendations on enhancing women’s roles within parties, the conference was attended by 32 people including 21 participants representing the seven participating political parties (Yemen Socialist Party, Yemeni Umma Party, Arab Spring Party, Justice and Construction Party, Yemeni Labor Party the General People's Congress Party, and the National Party).

 

Mr. Bagash Al-Mikhlafi, Secretary of the Committee for Parties and Political Organizations Affairs (CAPPO) and many influencers were also present, and the participants were high-ranking officials in their parties, and each of the seven participating parties gave a presentation that included the challenges faced by each party with regard to the participation of women within the party, and the parties presented recommendations related to the necessity of reviewing the internal rules and regulations of the parties; To ensure that it encourages women’s participation, introduces a quota for women within the party, increases the share of women in leadership positions, and conducts sessions to strengthen leadership based on gender responsiveness, facilitate the process of communication and coordination between members of political parties to pay attention to gender issues, and reduce negative stereotypes to support the role of women in politics, as Yemeni women activists provide pioneering examples in peacebuilding, and Hassiba Sheneef, Assistant Secretary-General of the Justice and Construction Party, said, “During the regional workshop, we learned about many activities for many networks, nothing is impossible, we will overcome problems, because our cause is women and women's rights".

The Foundation has also improved the participation of Yemeni women in peace processes, building the capacities of women and men to achieve a logical participation of women in making a sustainable transformation during the conflict, building the capacities of civil society organizations with regard in how to influence local policies and practices, promoting gender equity, and involving women in political processes, building the capacities of local decision-makers and their awareness of the importance of responding to the peacebuilding agenda presented by women and girls. It has worked to intervene in ending the conflict in Yemeni society since 2011 by building youth capacities on conflict resolution, as well as improving the role of women and youth, empowering community youth and stakeholders; To implement a conflict sensitivity approach, it enhanced the knowledge and skills of youth and stakeholders in conflict sensitivity and conflict prevention, enabled youth to access economic opportunities for peace dividends, and engaged in dialogues with decision makers to meet their needs.

 

The Foundation improved protection, built resilience, and enhanced skills for adolescent girls and boys at risk of child marriage, school dropout and child labor by providing knowledge, life skills, socio-economic empowerment and access to a multi-sectoral response - referral services including health, education, legal aid, psychosocial support and social initiatives economic and livelihood initiatives. Through the multi-sectoral response, it provided access to health, psychological, educational and capacity-building services. It enhanced young mothers' knowledge and facilitated access to maternal and reproductive health care services. It provided support to a number of married girls and financed their own projects.

 

 YLDF has promoted the social and economic participation of youth, especially young women and marginalized groups, within their communities, and participate more effectively in order to advance democracy, equity, rights and fundamental freedoms, involve people responsible for decision-making, engage in networking with other youth and build a knowledge base for other youth to support and enhance their participation in their communities, implement community initiatives related to the Universal Periodic Review and collaborate with people responsible for decision-making, and conduct a survey on the state of school dropout - drivers to know the causes and numbers of school dropouts - in partnership with educational authorities, local organizations, and parents' councils, Focusing meetings were held to discuss the results, and through discussion sessions on school dropout, a number of proposals were made to reduce school dropout, and real stories about school dropout were documented through awareness films.

 

The Foundation has also promoted community-led social development and worked to increase the contribution of influential individuals within their community to achieve sustainable development locally and globally, encouraging peer relationships across cultural, geographic and political boundaries, and supporting youth initiatives in implementing community activities in poor communities. The Foundation also contributed in promoting the principle of volunteering for young men and women, increasing youth knowledge and skills required for job opportunities, and helping them obtain training opportunities, with the aim of increasing the number of young volunteers in civil society.