Statement issued by the Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will & Hope) on the occasion of International Women’s Day

Statement issued by the Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will & Hope) on the occasion of International Women’s Day

The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will & Hope) affirms that in times of crisis and conflict, the rights of women and girls must not retreat; rather, their protection should be strengthened, and efforts must be intensified to ensure their access to justice, protection, and human dignity.

On this global occasion, attention is drawn to the fact that millions of women and girls in the Arab region live in harsh humanitarian conditions as a result of armed conflicts and forced displacement. Estimates indicate that approximately 20.3 million women and girls face displacement conditions that place them before massive challenges, most notably the difficulty of accessing justice, basic services, and legal protection.

In Yemen, the suffering of women is particularly exacerbated amid the continued grave violations committed by the Houthi militia, which affect their basic rights to life, dignity, health, and education. The organization has documented that thousands of women live in tragic conditions in conflict areas, whether inside Houthi detention centers or in displacement camps that lack the most basic necessities of life.

Women in those areas are exposed to multiple forms of violations, including:

• Deprivation of basic healthcare, including treatment for diseases that specifically affect women.

• Deterioration of health services in Houthi-controlled areas, depriving many women of necessary medical treatment and care.

• Suffering inside Houthi detention centers and the accompanying harsh conditions that affect human dignity.

• Forced displacement and expulsion that has affected millions of women and children.

• Women falling victim to direct sniping and the planting of explosive devices by the Houthis, resulting in death or permanent disabilities.

Displaced women also suffer from extremely harsh humanitarian conditions, as many displacement camps lack adequate food, health, and educational services, putting women and girls in a daily confrontation with poverty, disease, and insecurity.

Health is an inherent human right, and discrimination that deprives women of their right to healthcare, education, and a dignified life represents a serious violation of international human rights law.

While the international community focuses on this occasion on the importance of providing safe and affordable health services that meet the needs of women, including rights-based reproductive health services, tens of thousands of women in Yemen remain deprived of even the most basic necessities of life, including food and medicine, as a result of the continued conflict and the policies of impoverishment and starvation imposed by the war.

Accordingly, the Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will & Hope) calls for ensuring that women and girls have access to justice and protection without discrimination.

The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will & Hope) also demands an end to violations targeting women in conflict areas and enabling women to obtain healthcare, education, and basic services.

Furthermore, the Yemeni Center demands that urgent measures be taken to protect displaced women and provide them with basic humanitarian needs, and to work seriously to bridge the gap between international commitments and the reality lived by women in conflict areas.

International Women’s Day is not just a symbolic occasion, but a global reminder of the need to protect the rights of women and girls everywhere, especially in areas of armed conflict, and to work seriously for a future in which their dignity is preserved and their rights are respected without exception.

The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will & Hope) also demands pressure on the Houthi militia for the unconditional release of detained women, the cancellation of the unjust sentences issued by the Houthi militia, and the accountability of those who committed violations against women to ensure no impunity and to achieve social justice.

Issued by the Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will & Hope) March 8, 2026

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