Activists Arrested During Women’s Protest in Aden Over Deteriorating Living Conditions
Yemen Monitor/ Aden/ Exclusive:
On Saturday evening, Al-Mu’alla district in Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital, witnessed a large women’s demonstration that quickly turned into a new chapter of repression. Forces affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) arrested several participants, most notably lawyer and human rights activist Afraa Hariri, and Maha Awad, head of the “Wojood” Foundation for Human Security, before they were later released.
The demonstration was called for by civil society activists protesting the severe deterioration of living conditions and basic services. Participants carried banners demanding improvements in electricity, water, education, and healthcare services, and an end to the continuous collapse of the national currency.
Participants affirmed that their actions were peaceful expressions of legitimate demands from a society struggling under suffocating crises that have affected all aspects of life in Aden and other areas.
Commenting on the arrests, Yemeni lawyer and human rights activist Huda Al-Sarari stated: “It should be noted that security forces in Aden and armed formations have not committed systematic violations against women, but what happened is a dangerous precedent with the detention of lawyer Afraa Hariri and Wojood Foundation head Maha Awad due to their participation in the women’s demonstration today, Saturday, June 14.”
She added: “We condemn this violation, stand in solidarity with Afraa Hariri and Maha Awad, and support the women’s revolution and their demands for services, a decent life, and improved livelihoods in Aden.”
This event is part of a series of women’s movements that have escalated in recent weeks, and have seen previous attempts at repression and restriction by STC forces, amidst rising popular discontent over the failure of local authorities to address the worsening crises.
Aden faces continuous power outages, water scarcity, and rising living costs, amid an official inability to take effective measures, which is prompting more voices, especially women’s, to take to the streets and demand change.
