* Translated into English below
Dado el contexto de inseguridad en el que desarrollamos nuestras actividades, nos resulta prácticamente imposible salir de nuestro lugar de trabajo. Al estar ahora basada en la capital, hacer “excursiones” resulta aún más complicado, pues no hay siquiera un hospital al que visitar. Así que salvo que hagamos visitas a los proyectos del terreno, nuestros movimientos se limitan al trayecto de la casa a la oficina (y vuelta), ambas en la misma calle y una frente a otra.
Los casos de abusos sexuales se dan aquí como en cualquier otro lugar, sin embargo, las medidas que protegen a la mujer son prácticamente inexistentes. Que una mujer haya sufrido abuso sexual es una ofensa no tanto por ella misma, sino sobre todo de cara a la sociedad y a su propia familia, que la culpará a ella de ser la causante de dicho abuso. A no ser que más de tres mujeres acusen al mismo abusador, estas mujeres no podrán contar con ninguna medida de protección, salvo el silencio que se les impondrá.
Dado el contexto de inseguridad en el que desarrollamos nuestras actividades, nos resulta prácticamente imposible salir de nuestro lugar de trabajo. Al estar ahora basada en la capital, hacer “excursiones” resulta aún más complicado, pues no hay siquiera un hospital al que visitar. Así que salvo que hagamos visitas a los proyectos del terreno, nuestros movimientos se limitan al trayecto de la casa a la oficina (y vuelta), ambas en la misma calle y una frente a otra.
Hay excepciones, y a veces
podemos ir al supermercado, o a comer a un restaurante. Como esto sucede en contadas ocasiones, llegado el momento, todos tus sentidos se activan hasta el extremo,
para poder captar lo máximo posible de información y procesarla con el fin de
tener una imagen más precisa del país. Por ejemplo, una de las cosas que llaman la atención es que en los
restaurantes, hombres y mujeres se sientan en habitaciones separadas, de esta
manera la mujer se puede quitar el velo sin ser vista por los hombres. Sin embargo, cuando se trata de una familia mixta, entonces hay otros lugares, que son
tapados con mamparas para que la mujer, de nuevo, pueda deshacerse de su velo.
Así que de ningún modo verás a una mujer destapada y visible para el público, salvo que seas mujer.
Los supermercados son otra
historia. Ya de entrada no se ve a mucha gente, pero se ve. Según el supermercado,
puedes encontrar más o menos productos. En algunos encuentras absolutamente de
todo y la mayoría de los productos proceden de Arabia Saudí, el país que, al
mismo tiempo, les bombardea. En algunos supermercados hay una segunda planta
con tiendas de ropa. Las tiendas de las mujeres venden ropa interior que bien
podrían servir para una película pornográfica. Todo un mundo el que hay más allá de las abayas... También se ven vestidos de boda,
ideales como vestuario de una película de Walt Disney. Estas tiendas sí que están
vacías, quizás porque son demasiado lujosas para el público que queda en Yemen
desde que comenzó la guerra, en 2015.
Así que, en la mayoría de
los casos, mis ojos en este país, son los trabajadores nacionales. Es a través de
ellos, ya sea por motivos personales o profesionales, que aprendo muchas cosas sobre la sociedad, las costumbres y la cultura. La
mayoría son historias duras. Entre ellas, las que más me chocan son las relacionadas con las mujeres. El otro día me hablaban de una
chica a la que acosaba uno de los porteros del hospital. Al rechazarle ella, el
portero se hizo con una foto de su perfil, con la cara descubierta, y la colgó
en Facebook. Esto supone una gran ofensa para la mujer, que precisamente va
cubierta con el velo para que nadie pueda verle el rostro. El caso llegó a
juicio, y el portero acabó en prisión. A pesar de todo, la sociedad la castigó
a ella, y la presionaron para que se casara con el hombre, ya que la
consideraban culpable de que él estuviera en la cárcel.
Otra historia entristecedora
es la de las niñas. No es extraño recibir en el hospital madres con sus hijas
de 6 ó 7 años, que piden un informe que confirme que éstas son vírgenes. Temen
que hayan abusado de ellas, y si no lo son, difícilmente podrán casarlas.
Los casos de abusos sexuales se dan aquí como en cualquier otro lugar, sin embargo, las medidas que protegen a la mujer son prácticamente inexistentes. Que una mujer haya sufrido abuso sexual es una ofensa no tanto por ella misma, sino sobre todo de cara a la sociedad y a su propia familia, que la culpará a ella de ser la causante de dicho abuso. A no ser que más de tres mujeres acusen al mismo abusador, estas mujeres no podrán contar con ninguna medida de protección, salvo el silencio que se les impondrá.
Pero también hay historias
bonitas, aquellas en las que chico y chica se conocen más allá de las barreras
familiares, se enamoran y se casan. Fue el caso de Nadia y Salim, que se
conocieron en la universidad en Adén. La familia de ella vive en Arabia Saudí,
y cuando informó a su familia que se casaría con Salim, los padres pidieron al
chico una dote de 2 millones de YER (unos 7 mil euros). Al pobre Salim le
entraron tales calores que estuvo enfermo durante algún tiempo. Finalmente
llegaron a un acuerdo y redujeron la dote a la mitad. Ahora están casados y el
dinero lo guarda el padre, me contó ella, para que no se gaste
innecesariamente.
Sin embargo, los matrimonios
de libre elección son excepciones pues Yemen está entre los países con una
mayor tasa de matrimonio infantil. La guerra y consecuente falta de recursos, no
ha hecho más que favorecer su incremento, ya que la dote resulta un aporte
económico importante para las familias.
Si todo esto, yo que estoy en Yemen, no llego a verlo, que difícil es que llegue más allá...
_____________________________________
Given the context of insecurity in which we develop our activities, it is practically impossible for us to leave our workplace. Being now based in the capital, “going out” is even more complicated, since there is not even a hospital to visit. So unless we make visits to the projects in the field, our movements are limited to the journey from the house to the office (and back), both on the same street and facing each other.
There are exceptions, and sometimes we can go to the supermarket, or eat at a restaurant. As this happens on rare occasions, when the time comes, all your senses are activated to the extreme, to capture as much information as possible and process it in order to have a more accurate picture of the country. For example, one of the things that draw my attention is that in restaurants, men and women sit in separate rooms. This way the woman can remove the veil without being seen by men. However, when it comes to a mixed family, then there are other places, which are surounded by screens so that the woman, again, can get rid of her veil. So in no way will you see a woman uncovered and visible to the public, unless you are a woman.
The supermarkets are another story. First, you do not see many people inside. Depending on the supermarket, you can find more or less products. In some you find absolutely everything and most of the products come from Saudi Arabia, the country that, at the same time, bombards them. In some supermarkets there is a second floor with clothing stores. The women's stores sell underwear that could be used for a pornographic film. A whole world beyond the abayas... There are also wedding dresses, ideal as costumes for a Walt Disney movie. These stores are empty, perhaps because they are too luxurious for the public left in Yemen since the war began in 2015.
So, in most cases, my eyes in this country are the national staff. It is through them, whether for personal or professional reasons, that I learn many things about the society, customs and culture. Most are hard stories. Among them, the ones that strike me most are those related to women. The other day they told me about a girl who was being harassed by one of the hospital's doormen. When she rejected him, the doormen managed to find a photo of her profile, with her face uncovered, and posted it on Facebook. This is a great offense for the woman, who is precisely covered with the veil so that no one can see her face. The case came to trial, and the doorman ended up in prison. In spite of everything, the society punished her, and they pressed her to marry the man, since they considered her guilty that he was in jail.
Another sad story is that of girls. It is not strange to see mothers in the hospital with their 6 or 7 year old daughters, asking for a report that confirms that they are virgins. They fear that someone has abused them, and if they are not virgin, they can hardly marry them.
The cases of sexual abuse happen here as in any other countries, however, in Yemen, the measures that protect women are practically nonexistent. That a woman has suffered sexual abuse is an offense not so much for herself, but especially because of the society and her own family, who will blame her for being the cause of the abuse. Unless more than three women accuse the same abuser, these women will not be able to count on any protection measure, except for the silence that will be imposed on them.
But there are also beautiful stories, those in which a boy and a girl know each other beyond family barriers, fall in love and get married. It was the case of Nadia and Salim, who met at the university in Aden. Her family lives in Saudi Arabia, and when she informed them that she would like to marry Salim, the parents asked the boy for a dowry of 2 million YER (about 7 thousand euros). Poor Salim got such heat that he was sick for some time. Finally they reached an agreement and reduced the dowry by half. Now they are married and the money is kept by the father, she told me, so that it is not spent unnecessarily.
However, free-choice marriages are exceptional, as Yemen is among the countries in the world with the highest rate of child marriage. The war and consequent lack of resources has done nothing but favor their increase, since the dowry is an important economic contribution for families.
If all this, me who lives in Yemen, I cannot see it, how difficult it is for this to be known further ...
_____________________________________
Given the context of insecurity in which we develop our activities, it is practically impossible for us to leave our workplace. Being now based in the capital, “going out” is even more complicated, since there is not even a hospital to visit. So unless we make visits to the projects in the field, our movements are limited to the journey from the house to the office (and back), both on the same street and facing each other.
There are exceptions, and sometimes we can go to the supermarket, or eat at a restaurant. As this happens on rare occasions, when the time comes, all your senses are activated to the extreme, to capture as much information as possible and process it in order to have a more accurate picture of the country. For example, one of the things that draw my attention is that in restaurants, men and women sit in separate rooms. This way the woman can remove the veil without being seen by men. However, when it comes to a mixed family, then there are other places, which are surounded by screens so that the woman, again, can get rid of her veil. So in no way will you see a woman uncovered and visible to the public, unless you are a woman.
The supermarkets are another story. First, you do not see many people inside. Depending on the supermarket, you can find more or less products. In some you find absolutely everything and most of the products come from Saudi Arabia, the country that, at the same time, bombards them. In some supermarkets there is a second floor with clothing stores. The women's stores sell underwear that could be used for a pornographic film. A whole world beyond the abayas... There are also wedding dresses, ideal as costumes for a Walt Disney movie. These stores are empty, perhaps because they are too luxurious for the public left in Yemen since the war began in 2015.
So, in most cases, my eyes in this country are the national staff. It is through them, whether for personal or professional reasons, that I learn many things about the society, customs and culture. Most are hard stories. Among them, the ones that strike me most are those related to women. The other day they told me about a girl who was being harassed by one of the hospital's doormen. When she rejected him, the doormen managed to find a photo of her profile, with her face uncovered, and posted it on Facebook. This is a great offense for the woman, who is precisely covered with the veil so that no one can see her face. The case came to trial, and the doorman ended up in prison. In spite of everything, the society punished her, and they pressed her to marry the man, since they considered her guilty that he was in jail.
Another sad story is that of girls. It is not strange to see mothers in the hospital with their 6 or 7 year old daughters, asking for a report that confirms that they are virgins. They fear that someone has abused them, and if they are not virgin, they can hardly marry them.
The cases of sexual abuse happen here as in any other countries, however, in Yemen, the measures that protect women are practically nonexistent. That a woman has suffered sexual abuse is an offense not so much for herself, but especially because of the society and her own family, who will blame her for being the cause of the abuse. Unless more than three women accuse the same abuser, these women will not be able to count on any protection measure, except for the silence that will be imposed on them.
But there are also beautiful stories, those in which a boy and a girl know each other beyond family barriers, fall in love and get married. It was the case of Nadia and Salim, who met at the university in Aden. Her family lives in Saudi Arabia, and when she informed them that she would like to marry Salim, the parents asked the boy for a dowry of 2 million YER (about 7 thousand euros). Poor Salim got such heat that he was sick for some time. Finally they reached an agreement and reduced the dowry by half. Now they are married and the money is kept by the father, she told me, so that it is not spent unnecessarily.
However, free-choice marriages are exceptional, as Yemen is among the countries in the world with the highest rate of child marriage. The war and consequent lack of resources has done nothing but favor their increase, since the dowry is an important economic contribution for families.
If all this, me who lives in Yemen, I cannot see it, how difficult it is for this to be known further ...
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