Resilience in the Face of War: Yemeni Women’s Fight for Rights

Established in June 2009 as a not-for-profit voluntary non-governmental organization, the Yemeni Association for Reproductive Health (YARH) is registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs. YARH became an IPPF Member Association in 2010. YARH carries out its activities to contribute in achieving the following goals: – Providing services and rights in the field of high-quality reproductive health […]

Photo credits: IPPF/Record Media/Yemen

Established in June 2009 as a not-for-profit voluntary non-governmental organization, the Yemeni Association for Reproductive Health (YARH) is registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs. YARH became an IPPF Member Association in 2010. YARH carries out its activities to contribute in achieving the following goals:

  • – Providing services and rights in the field of high-quality reproductive health provided, enables through the outlets of partners in the public and private sectors, and information and family planning based on of voluntary acceptance and conscious choice without exerting any pressure.
  • – Providing family with preventive and curative services in the field of RH/FP and Primary Health Care.
  • – Participate and contribute to the implementation of sustainable development programs and humanitarian programs that promote the health and well-being of society.
  • – Enhancing the commitment of decision makers to activate legislation and policies on SRH and FP methods.
  • – Enhancing the role of women and youth leaderships as advocates for change.
  • Increase youth access to CSE.
  • – Raising community awareness by engaging influencers and media professionals in promoting reproductive rights and health.
  • – Strengthening the association’s institutional capabilities, increasing its financial resources, and diversifying its sources of income.
  • – Increasing the number of volunteers and active activists in the association. 

Through 2 static clinics and 1 youth-friendly service centre, the Member Association provides quality services to the people of Yemen. It has about 484 volunteers and staff working on SRHR, HIV, CSE, and Youth issues on the promotion of awareness amongst young people to empower them to make informed decisions concerning their SRH.

YARH plays a key role in building strategic partnerships with other organisations concerned with young people’s programmes in Yemen, and involves the young in identifying, articulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating youth-friendly projects. YARH provides SRH, FP, Primary Health Care, and MCH. The average no. of services at the static clinics between 23,500 services, this number increased during our implementation projects funded by donors.  

During 2018-2019 we implemented one year project funded by both GoJ-SB, and JTF projects targeted IDP’s and host communities, services provided reached more than 65.000 clients.

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Yemen remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises due to violent conflict, economic collapse, recurrent natural disasters and severely disrupted public services. This year 21.6 million people require some form of humanitarian assistance, as 80 per cent of the country’s population struggles to access food, safe drinking water and adequate health services . The impact of this is felt disproportionately by women and girls, constituting 77% of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Women and girls in Yemen already experience discriminatory societal attitudes towards economic engagement and movement .

In response to the protracted crisis, the Yemeni Association for Reproductive Health (YARH) with support of IPPF Stream3 funds implemented a 6-month emergency response project from September 2022 to end of February 2023. However, at the end of the Stream 3 response period, the needs for SRH services, particularly emergency obstetric services, remained significantly high in the target areas. In this context, YARH requested SPRINT support to continue the provision of essential SRH services, which was approved in April 2023. The SPRINT-supported emergency response enabled YARH in Sana’a and Aden to continue providing lifesaving SRH services, including 24/7 emergency obstetric services to IDPs and those in vulnerable settings.

Photo credits: IPPF/Record Media/Yemen