Yemeni Women: Victims of Marrying Foreigners

Exploiting the Needs of Families and the Absence of Protective Laws to Abuse Women
Ekram Faraj
January 15, 2025

Yemeni Women: Victims of Marrying Foreigners

Exploiting the Needs of Families and the Absence of Protective Laws to Abuse Women
Ekram Faraj
January 15, 2025
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The phenomenon of Yemeni women marrying foreigners has become prominent in the last decade due to the dire economic conditions in Yemen. The rates of marriages between Yemeni women and Gulf nationals, particularly Omanis, have significantly increased, especially in border governorates such as Al-Mahra and Hadhramaut. This phenomenon may seem like an attempt to escape the grasp of the dire economic situation faced by many families, but it carries many underlying dimensions, with destructive and adverse consequences.

From the Need to the Beast’s Mouth

Regarding the overall reasons that push families, who would never marry their daughters outside the family, to marry them to non-Yemenis, social activist Arwa Al-Akbari told Khuyut: "The search for improving the family's deteriorating economic situation due to the ongoing conflict in the country has led many guardians to marry off their daughters to Arabs, particularly Omanis, who have the advantage of geographical proximity to Yemen, allowing them to access the social fabric in the governorates of Al-Mahra and Hadhramaut specifically. These marriages are made on conditions that disregard the rights of these girls, who, due to the lack of activated laws protecting their dignity and rights, have become victims of disorder and hardship."

Many of the girls who fall into the trap of these marriages suffer from the difficulty of adjusting to entirely different environments compared to their own, in addition to the numerous challenges they face in the medium term, along with the deprivation of their basic rights, both as wives and mothers.

Dr. Omar Bajardanah, Director of the Knowledge Center for Studies and Strategic Research, refers to this type of marriage as "tourist marriage" or marriage to foreigners. He focuses on the marriages of Hadhrami girls to Omanis, noting to "Khuyut" that these marriages have reached their highest levels due to the economic situation that has severely affected most Hadhramis. This phenomenon has spread widely and noticeably within the Hadhrami community.

After nearly two weeks of my engagement, my husband contacted my family to send me as a bride to the border with Oman, saying he would wait for me there. Everything went as planned, but a few days later I discovered that my husband had a chronic mental condition and was chained up, living alone in a house without his family for a long time

The Exile Pain and the Severity of Abuse

Maha Saad, a pseudonym, (18 years old) from Al-Mukalla, is one of those who endured this experience. She recounts to Khuyut what she went through: "I never expected to live such heavy days as I did after marrying a non-Yemeni husband. I suffered greatly, I was beaten and humiliated. The only thing that consumed me was anxiety and fear, while I was alone, broken, far from my family and my homeland."

She recalls her tragic story from the beginning: “After nearly two weeks of my engagement, my husband contacted my family to send me as a bride to the border with Oman, saying he would wait for me there. Everything went as planned, but a few days later I discovered that my husband had a chronic mental condition and was chained up, living alone in a house without his family for a long time. He had married me so I could serve him and take care of him, regardless of the risks involved for me. This led me to break down and wonder how I could escape this hell I was living every night."

Maha’s Heartbreaking Escape Scene

One day, Maha managed to sneak out early in the morning. She fled, terrified, like a prey, looking around on a road she didn't know. But escaping down an unknown path was her only option to survive rather than continue her life with a husband whose psychological disorder was affecting her. She hid in a large vegetable sack in a transport vehicle, and once the vehicle arrived at the public market in the city, she escaped without anyone noticing. She then contacted her family for help. The experience still haunts Maha, leaving deep scars that have not healed. Only disappointment, fear, and anxiety accompany her view of life.

Potential Risks That Could Tear Apart Society

Many of these marriages occur without sufficient legal guarantees, even though Yemeni law requires the approval of the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs and sets several conditions, including verifying the mental health of the marriage applicant, ensuring their good conduct, and setting an age difference not exceeding 20 years. However, these regulations are often circumvented, especially in the last decade, due to the absence of government oversight and weak monitoring of legal officials. Many of these marriages are conducted without documentation by the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of the Interior.

The intermediaries are not limited to women but also include legal officials who contribute to the spread of this phenomenon by documenting marriages without fulfilling the official requirements. This leaves daughters from poor and destitute families vulnerable to being sold and bought in a reprehensible act that violates women's rights, especially their right to choose and live with freedom and dignity.

DR. Bajardanah outlines some of the grave consequences of these marriages, both for individuals and society. The most prominent issue is the recognition of children born from these unions, especially since many of these marriages are performed without completing the necessary legal and official procedures, meaning the rights of these children are at risk.

He continues: "Not to mention the harsh and bitter reality that the girl faces alone in a foreign society, which often leads to a long journey of seeking separation or escape without achieving even the simplest of rights, alongside the spread of family disintegration and the increase in cases of children born outside official records, who are not recognized in the registers of either spouse’s country."

A Merchant of Dreams

This phenomenon has become a source of easy and quick income for some people who act as brokers and intermediaries. The intermediaries are not limited to women but also include legal officials who contribute to the spread of this phenomenon by documenting marriages without fulfilling the official requirements. This leaves daughters from poor and destitute families vulnerable to being sold and bought in a reprehensible act that violates women's rights, especially their right to choose and live with freedom and dignity.

On his part, the lawyer Majed Bin Ja'a points out the legal loopholes facing Yemeni girls married to foreigners, particularly when differences in religion and sect complicate the legal processes necessary to claim their rights, such as custody, alimony, or any of these legal matters. He continues, "As lawyers, we are shocked by a primitive reality where the most basic legal requirements are missing, making it extremely difficult to document marriages internationally, escalate legal claims, and enforce judgments."

He adds: "Some of the Yemeni laws related to personal status are outdated and need modification, especially regarding marriage to foreigners. The laws should include clear and explicit texts that guarantee women's rights after marriage, taking into account the challenges they may face during litigation, especially if the husband lives in a country that does not have strong legal ties with Yemen."

He also comments that the poor economic situation of the girls and their families is often exploited to arrange a quick marriage with foreigners, without proper research or legal guarantees. In some cases, families are tempted with money or promises of improving their economic situation, but this usually leads to serious legal and social problems later.

Bin Ja'a proposes several solutions, including tightening the laws related to marriage to foreigners. The law should set strict conditions to ensure women's rights in case of any disputes, such as documenting the marriage properly and specifying terms for alimony and custody before marriage. Additionally, legal and rights awareness should be promoted to help women understand the requirements before taking such a step. There should also be enhanced judicial cooperation with other countries to facilitate the enforcement of rulings related to marriage and alimony, as well as the establishment of legal centers to support women facing legal problems.

Indicators Warning of a Disaster

The Knowledge Center for Studies and Strategic Research conducted a study on "tourist marriage" (mixed marriage) in Hadhramaut governorate on August 17, 2023. The study indicated that marriage to foreign nationals in Yemen, particularly in Hadhramaut, is not a new phenomenon but has deep historical roots. However, the recent increase in such marriages, especially from Gulf countries, is tied to the ongoing political conflict and the dire economic situation, as the Yemeni riyal has plummeted against the Saudi riyal to 370 riyals, and more than 1,140 to the US dollar.

This explains the high statistics of Yemeni women marrying foreigners in Hadhramaut, which reached 167 marriages in 2018/2019, 45 marriages in 2020, and 67 in 2021. However, the number dropped to 39 cases in 2022, and these statistics are only those officially documented, with many others unregistered due to the reasons mentioned earlier.

The study noted that most marriages to foreigners were initiated by older men, who often sought to marry underage girls. According to the study’s survey, it was found that the husbands were typically between 30-40 and 40-50 years old or older.

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Ekram Faraj

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