As part of its project “Protecting Civil and Women’s Spaces and Promoting Women’s Role in the Peace Process,” the Abductees’ Mothers Association (AMA) has begun implementing a series of five panel sessions to shed light on the violations faced by women activists, both online and offline, and to examine how these violations hinder women’s civic and political participation in peacebuilding efforts. The sessions also aim to develop mechanisms for enhancing protection for women peacebuilders.
The first session, held in Al-Mudhaffar District in Taiz, focused on gathering grounded insights into the forms of violations documented in the “Violation Mapping.” Participants analyzed the root causes of these violations, examining legislative, institutional, and societal dimensions. The session led to the creation of a “Gap Matrix” outlining key legal, procedural, security, and social gaps.
In parallel, the session proposed a comprehensive “Intervention Matrix” featuring short-, medium-, and long-term initiatives, along with a clear implementation roadmap prioritizing urgent actions. Participants also discussed ways to strengthen coordination among civil society, law enforcement, and religious leadership to ensure a more responsive protection environment.
Consultant Samir Al-Maqatari presented an overview of the violations recorded in Al-Mudhaffar District. These include cyberbullying, digital blackmail, physical violence, financial extortion, privacy violations (such as hacking activists’ accounts or creating fake profiles), threats, slander, defamation, employment discrimination, and gender-based harassment.
Women activists shared firsthand testimonies of systematic smear campaigns targeting them and their organizations, both online and in their communities. These violations have had profound psychological and social consequences. Some women have been forced to leave their jobs or abandon their education due to family pressure and fear of stigma. Others have withdrawn from public life, choosing silence or reduced visibility to avoid threats and defamation, factors that also impact their personal aspirations, including marriage and family life.
These sessions are being held across five districts in Taiz Governorate, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the United Nations Peace Support Facility (PSF).
The first session brought together 12 participants, including women activists, legal experts, local initiative leaders, mosque preachers, and security officers. They emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional capacity to address cybercrimes, building trust between women and law enforcement, increasing awareness of women’s rights, and promoting safe, informed use of technology. They also stressed the need to combat digital illiteracy and create a supportive institutional environment.
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