Coinciding with the international “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign, the Abductees’ Mothers Association expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of the grave violations endured by women in Yemen, including their own abduction as well as the abduction of their husbands, sons, and fathers. These violations cause ongoing suffering for women and their families in all aspects of life, particularly amid the country’s difficult economic conditions.
Recent months have witnessed severe escalations, including the abduction of two women working with the World Food Programme after their homes in Sana’a were raided, along with the storming of two UN offices. According to official UN statements, the number of detained UN employees has risen to dozens, among them women. These incidents represent not only an attack on humanitarian work but also a painful manifestation of violence against women in Yemen, affecting both humanitarian workers and hundreds of other women who have been abducted or deprived of their breadwinners.
We affirm that one of the most severe forms of violence faced by Yemeni women today, after killing and abduction, is the forcible loss of the family’s breadwinner. When a husband, son, or father is abducted, women are burdened with responsibilities far beyond their capacity. Many have been subjected to systematic financial extortion while seeking information about the fate of their loved ones. Countless women have also been forced to become the sole providers for their families under extremely difficult living conditions.
These burdens take a heavy toll on women’s mental and physical well-being, undermine their ability to care for their children, and threaten their families’ most basic stability. Collectively, these hardships constitute a form of gender-based violence and violate Yemen’s legal obligations under international conventions that protect women from violence and discrimination and guarantee their right to security and dignity.
In light of this, and with the voices of the abducted women and those whose breadwinners have been taken, we demand:
– The immediate release of all abducted Yemeni women and all forcibly disappeared or arbitrarily detained relatives, and an end to all forms of abduction, detention, and enforced disappearance targeting civilians.
– Ensuring the safe return of abductees to their families, as this is a fundamental right for women and essential for their stability and human dignity.
– Guaranteeing women and their children access to their basic rights, including a dignified life, protection, and adequate care.
– Holding perpetrators of these violations accountable and ensuring that they do not escape justice.
– Protecting Yemeni women working in the humanitarian field and beyond, and ensuring they are not targeted while performing their duties.
Violence against women in Yemen is no longer limited to its traditional forms; it now extends to the destruction of families and the unraveling of women’s lives.
As part of this international campaign to end violence against women, we raise the voices of mothers and wives: *Release the abducted women, and return our sons, husbands, and fathers. These are our rights, our justice, and our dignity.*
Issued by the Abductees’ Mothers Association
3/December/ 2025