International Rescue Committee Calls for Urgent Funding to Support Women’s Organizations in Yemen
Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Yemen has issued a new policy paper warning of the repercussions of underfunding on protection services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). The paper calls for restructuring funding and partnerships to bolster the role of local women’s organizations, which face significant challenges in delivering life-saving support.
The paper highlights that over 6.2 million women and girls in Yemen are at risk of GBV by 2025, while current funding targets only 1% of those actually in need.
Local women’s organizations contend with multiple obstacles, most notably limited resources and a lack of recognition as essential partners in humanitarian response. This is despite their work in remote areas that international organizations cannot reach.
Caroline Sekyewa, the IRC’s Yemen Country Director, stated that funding gaps lead to the closure of safe spaces, depriving thousands of women of protection, psychological, and legal support. She added that women’s organizations must be considered leaders and partners in driving change, not merely subcontractors.
For her part, Asia Al-Mashraqi, head of the Sustainable Development Foundation and the Yemeni Women Leaders Network, affirmed that women’s organizations reach survivors in high-risk areas but operate without sufficient funding or institutional support.
The paper includes several recommendations, such as integrating women’s organizations into decision-making, reforming funding systems to be more inclusive, and boosting investment in their capabilities according to their self-identified priorities. It also calls for enhanced peer-to-peer cooperation and recognition of these organizations’ role in shaping policies and programs.
This report comes at a time when the United Nations announced that 240,000 women and girls lost access to essential services in 2023, while 22 safe spaces closed in 2024, leaving over 11,000 survivors without protection.
The IRC has been operating in Yemen since 2012, providing health, economic, and protection services, especially for women and children in 11 Yemeni governorates.
