UNFPA Study Reveals Urgent Needs of Muhamasheen Women and Girls
Muhamasheen community in Yemen. Image: UNHCR/Jean-Nicolas Beuze
Summary
Muhamasheen women and girls in Yemen face heightened vulnerability due to conflict-induced lack of necessities, legal protections, and pre-existing marginalization.
The study by UNFPA calls for immediate interventions to ensure safe access to food, water, sanitation, healthcare, and safe housing, prioritize education, and establish safe spaces for women and girls.
The proposed multi-pronged approach aims to address the critical needs of Muhamasheen women and girls and empower the community for long-term resilience.
A new study by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), conducted in collaboration with the Yemen Women Union, sheds light on the plight of Muhamasheen women and girls in Yemen's ongoing conflict.
The study, focusing on Al Hudaydah Governorate, reveals the community's pre-existing marginalization and the devastating impact of the war on their basic needs. Muhamasheen women and girls face a disproportionate burden in securing food, water, and healthcare due to the lack of safe housing and limited access to regular income. The desperate search for necessities exposes them to increased vulnerability, particularly concerning gender-based violence (GBV).
The study highlights the absence of legal frameworks that prohibit discrimination and promote Muhamasheen inclusion. Additionally, the lack of pre-conflict and current reintegration strategies from both government and humanitarian actors further exacerbates their vulnerabilities.
While the research focused on Al Hudaydah, the findings likely reflect the experiences of the Muhamasheen community across Yemen.
The study proposes a multi-pronged approach to address the critical needs of Muhamasheen women and girls. This includes ensuring safe access to food, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, healthcare, and safe housing. Prioritizing education through food incentives, providing alternative income sources, and integrating WASH facilities in schools are also crucial recommendations.
Promoting inclusion through education quotas, recruitment of Muhamasheen graduates, and capacity building for local Muhamasheen NGOs can help empower the community for long-term resilience. Establishing safe spaces for women and girls, offering support through female caregivers, and providing mental health services for GBV survivors are also critical components of the proposed interventions.
This study provides valuable insights for UNFPA and the GBV Area of Responsibility (AoR) members to develop targeted and tailored GBV programming strategies to effectively serve the Muhamasheen community and other marginalized groups.
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