Yemen Women Use Digital Tech to Improve Society with ‘Safe Streets’

Staff Writer | WNN | May 3, 2012

Even though the connection to the internet has been intermittent at best and often too slow, women advocates in Yemen are now working to push digital tech as a means to improve society and gain human rights. As women continue to battle extreme sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo, Egypt, women in neighboring Yemen are also fighting the fight against what some say is a centuries old crime. Bringing action and efforts forward to stop their harassers, a strategic group of women activists are now working to stop what they consider ‘crimes against women’s dignity and rights.’ ...

‘Defying the Silence,’ an organized the ‘safe streets’ campaign in Yemen, aims to bring law and justice to the issues of sexual aggression against Yemeni women on the streets. Since 2009, Ghaidaa al Absi, an innovative leader and Global Voices (Rising Voices) grant recipient has been helping women jump to the cyber street of blogging to bring attention to injustice and issues of human rights under conditions that many have considered to be much deteriorated since the civil unrest and pro-democracy movement began in the region. In spite of this, the group of women activists have continued, often meeting in a members home.