Women have always been the first segment targeted by the Ansar Allah group (Houthis), in their repeated attempt to restrict their activities, starting with their clothing and travel, and recently their jobs. This restriction has been reaching the female architects working on public works projects affiliated with the Historic Cities Preservation Authority, in restoring ancient buildings in old Sana'a. Their helmets have become a major problem for this civil institution, which has been preoccupied with the dress of female engineers more than projects for the restoration of antiquities and the preservation of historical cities.
Despite this, the female engineers and trainees continued to ignore the criticism of some during their usual work until the day when a wave of anger erupted among them. In June 21, 2022, a person came to the headquarters of the Historic Cities Preservation Authority, a person who presented himself to them as the Deputy Minister of Culture, where he was surrounded by the guards and accompanied by the administrative staff of the Historic Cities Preservation Authority. He rushed to open the doors of the center in a barbaric manner, indicating that he was looking for a young man and a female engineer in one of the rooms! Then he asked the attendees about the location of female engineers and trainees, as they were out of the building practicing their daily work in the restoration of buildings.
After that, the restriction extended to the head of the General Authority for the Preservation of Historic Cities, who accepted to deal with some complains regarding the dress of some female engineers and trainees working under his authority.
One of the female engineers working in the Authority's projects expressed her and her colleagues shock at this attack on their dress, which has turned into a case, while it is the same dress with which they leave their home in front of her father and family members when she goes to work.
That evening, according to the assurances of the female engineers to "Khuyut", an employee in the Historic Cities Preservation Authority told trainees and female engineers to stop wearing the architect's protective helmet, and the protective "coat" that they wear during their work, and even prevented their presence in the center and change their private resting place to the Yemeni Heritage House located in Old Sana'a.
The female engineers and trainees at the Historic Cities Preservation Authority are in charge of restoring ancient buildings that symbolize an ancient Yemeni civilization that has always respected women and granted them their rights while there are some officials whose violations affect Yemeni women and their essential and legally guaranteed rights.
There is a problem with the authority of Ansar Allah (Houthis), with everything related to women, which is reflected in the continuous constraints on women and setting conditions and special standards for their work; including determining where they work and where they have to stop working. Such harassments were obvious as in the offensive practices by some of those affiliated with the group who controls Sanaa and various other public institutions in the Yemeni capital, and their tightening, and thus preventing women from working in the General Authority for the Preservation of Historic Cities.
In this context, the work sites of female engineers were stopped and withdrawn, by a decision by the project consultant assistant and female engineers have been given a deadline of up to five days, ending on June 27, to withdraw the working sites of female engineers, based on directives issued by the Deputy Minister of Culture in the Sana’a government under the authority of Ansar Allah (Houthis).
Female engineers working in the projects of the General Authority for the Preservation of Historic Cities in Sana’a referred to a series of harassment they were subjected to by some officials. These harassments come under the pretext of the clothes worn by some female staff and describing their behavior as immoral, and obligating them to wear a face masks, and then pressure on them to wear the niqab, which they described as according to the instructions of the security authorities.
After these and many other repeated practices, it was thought that they were opposing the work of women, and despite not having this authority and the right to prevent them, what was later known is that they are training other women to work in upcoming projects in the restoration of archaeological buildings, loyal to the Ansar Allah group (Houthis).
This shows what these authorities are doing in terms of abuse towards women, and the theft of their rights comes first, because they are women who are allowed to take away their rights and their jobs.
The female engineers and trainees at the Historic Cities Preservation Authority are in charge of restoring ancient buildings that symbolize an ancient Yemeni civilization that has always respected women and granted them their rights while there are some officials whose violations affect Yemeni women and their essential and legally guaranteed rights.
The question remains: What is the legitimacy granted to some authorities and officials to issue such directions to restrict women engineers and prevent their work or even oblige them to wear the niqab?! How come they intended to steal their years of study in engineering in order to replace them with other women loyal to these authorities, and what authority is granted to anyone who dares to insult them or say a word of disrespect or behavior that contradicts Sharia and law?
