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At a high-level side event hosted by Luxembourg on 6 March 2023 during the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Peace Track Initiative's Protection Coordinator, Nadia Ebrahim, delivered a statement on the rising threats faced by Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) in Yemen. The intervention highlighted the sharp increase in violations—ranging from physical violence and digital harassment to defamation campaigns—targeting women advocating for peace, rights, and justice. Nadia Gamal called for robust international and national mechanisms to document abuses, ensure protection services, deliver justice, and guarantee reparations. The statement also reflected on PTI’s engagement with the Group of Eminent Experts (GEE) and stressed the urgent need for gender-responsive, intersectional, and sustainable approaches to protect WHRDs in conflict settings. This advocacy effort reaffirms PTI’s commitment to defending civic space and amplifying the voices of women at risk.  

This joint submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) exposes the widespread and entrenched discrimination faced by women and girls in Yemen amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian collapse. Prepared by the Peace Track Initiative (PTI) in collaboration with Yemeni women-led organizations, and with the support of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the report critically reviews Yemen’s 7th and 8th periodic reports to CEDAW. The submission sheds light on major concerns including discriminatory legal frameworks, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), the exclusion of women from political and public life, and systemic barriers to healthcare and education—especially for rural women. The report concludes with actionable, gender-responsive recommendations to advance justice, equality, and women's meaningful participation in peace and recovery processes. Despite the dire context, the report highlights the unwavering determination of Yemeni women and grassroots actors in advocating for transformative change.    

This statement, delivered during the 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in September 2021, highlights grave human rights violations in Yemen and calls for urgent action to support a sustainable and inclusive peace. Endorsed by the Peace Track Initiative, the statement welcomes the report of the Group of Eminent Experts (GEE) and stresses the importance of a gender-responsive approach to peacebuilding and accountability. Key points addressed in the statement include: The imperative of inclusive peace processes that amplify the voices of women, youth, and marginalized communities. A clear condemnation of arms transfers to parties to the conflict, which fuel violence and undermine peacebuilding efforts. A strong critique of the exclusion of women from Yemen’s political processes, particularly the formation of an all-male government in 2020, which contravenes Yemen’s commitments to gender equality. The statement calls on the international community to: Immediately halt arms sales contributing to the conflict, Ensure accountability for human rights violations, And advocate for the meaningful participation of women in all peace and governance processes.

In June 2021, the first draft of the Feminist Peace Roadmap was introduced. This document was the outcome of extensive consultations led by the Peace Track Initiative (PTI) in collaboration with a broad group of Yemeni women leaders, political figures, civil society representatives, and independent experts, both in Yemen and the diaspora. The 2021 Roadmap was developed as a comprehensive framework intended to consolidate and reflect the shared perspectives of various feminist groups on building a more inclusive and equitable peace process in Yemen. The drafting of the 2021 Feminist Peace Roadmap was a collaborative process. PTI facilitated a series of consultations throughout 2020 and 2021, involving approximately 30 women leaders from political and civil society backgrounds, as well as experts. These discussions initially centered on key elements of the ceasefire process, particularly in response to the Joint Declaration proposed by the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY), and sought to identify women’s priorities in this context. Participating groups included the Women Solidarity Network, the Yemeni Women Pact for Peace and Security, the National Reconciliation Movement, and several women-led organizations such as Food for Humanity, the Mothers of Abductees, AWAM Development Foundation, Wogood for Human Security Foundation, To Be Foundation for Rights and Freedoms, Sam Initiative, the Women Alliance for Peace, the Southern Feminist Movement, the Democratic Social Forum, and the Taiz Women for Life Initiative. In total, 148 women and 38 men participated, representing various constituencies across Yemeni society, including displaced individuals, families of detainees, community leaders, and professionals from multiple sectors. The principles and structure of the Roadmap are based on international human rights standards and established peacebuilding practices. It adopts a rights-based approach with attention to gender and conflict sensitivity and calls for the implementation of international treaties ratified by Yemen, such as CEDAW and UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The Roadmap outlines guiding principles including equal citizenship, non-discrimination, a victim-centered approach, accountability, democratic participation, civilian protection, access to justice, and enhanced decentralization. The draft Roadmap was formally discussed during the High-Level Convening on Feminist Peace in Yemen, held virtually from June 28 to July 2, 2021. The event was co-hosted by PTI, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). The convening provided an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of Yemeni women to peace processes and to collect input on the draft Roadmap. The main objectives of the convening were to offer a space for Yemeni women to present their perspectives and work on peace-related issues, facilitate exchanges with diplomatic stakeholders including UN representatives, and gather feedback on the Roadmap. The agenda addressed a range of topics relevant to the peace negotiations, with presentations from grassroots actors, scholars, government officials, and diplomats. The interaction between community-based initiatives (Track II and III) and formal diplomatic processes (Track I) was among the key aims of the event. The Feminist Peace Roadmap, as shared during the conference, proposed a set of policy recommendations emerging from two years of consultations on topics such as security sector reform, economic recovery, prisoner exchange, salary payments, local governance, humanitarian priorities, transitional justice, and the broader importance of an inclusive and gender-responsive peace process. Following the convening, the intention was to finalize the Roadmap and circulate it through UN diplomatic mechanisms, including the Arria Formula meetings, to inform Member States and Security Council representatives about gender-relevant aspects of Yemen’s peacebuilding challenges. The 2021 Feminist Peace Roadmap and its presentation at the Feminist Peace Conference represented an important stage in coordinating and elevating the contributions of Yemeni women and feminist organizations. It offered a structured and inclusive approach to supporting sustainable and equitable peacebuilding in Yemen. The process also reflected the depth of engagement and expertise among Yemeni women working in this field. As a living document, the Roadmap remains open to further input and adaptation. Once finalized, it is intended to serve as a practical reference for policymakers, mediators, and international actors committed to supporting peace and stability in Yemen.  

On 8 March 2021, International Women’s Day, Rasha Jarhum, co-founder and Director of the Peace Track Initiative, addressed the UN Security Council during an Arria-formula meeting. Speaking on behalf of more than 300 Yemeni women leaders represented by the Peace Track Initiative and the Women Solidarity Network, Jarhum underscored the critical yet consistently overlooked contributions of Yemeni women to peacebuilding, and called for their full, meaningful, and sustained inclusion in all formal peace processes. Jarhum’s statement highlighted a striking paradox: despite playing pivotal roles in mediating local ceasefires, facilitating humanitarian access, and securing landmark gains—such as the 30% gender quota in the 2013 National Dialogue Conference—Yemeni women have been systematically excluded from Track I negotiations, including the Kuwait and Stockholm talks. She denounced the patriarchal justifications for their exclusion and criticized the international community’s failure to enforce accountability under UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) and Yemen’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. The statement further drew attention to the growing violence against women, including arbitrary detention, torture, and sexual violence by parties to the conflict, particularly the Houthis. Jarhum urged the Security Council to ensure that future peace processes are inclusive, transparent, and representative—stressing that sustainable peace is unattainable without gender equality and the direct participation of women, youth, and civil society actors. This statement remains a powerful advocacy tool and a timely reminder that women's inclusion must be a non-negotiable pillar in all UN-supported peace efforts for Yemen.