<p>This study highlights the importance of strengthening women’s agency in Yemen, given that they are disproportionately affected by the ongoing civil war. Women-headed households, already vulnerable because of pre-existing gendered inequalities, face a complex task in balancing the demands of survival against the unequal sociocultural expectations placed upon them. I argue that their main coping strategies for surviving and maintaining livelihoods are simultaneously demonstrations of women’s agency that navigates social constraints through a degree of compliance with communal norms within a conservative context. Using the context of an Enhanced Resilience Program, I investigated how women in two governorates run by the Ansar Allah (Houthis) and the internationally recognized government were able to demonstrate some resilience despite the program’s shortcomings. I identified how women’s engagement in problem-solving mechanisms, support-seeking, cognitive and behavioral escape-avoidance, and religious coping strategies were also implicitly expressions of agency, which could have been accounted for in designing humanitarian interventions. Thus, I emphasize how humanitarian actors must recognize, support, and amplify women’s agency through gender-sensitive and inclusive interventions. These may not only enhance individual wellbeing but also contribute to broader societal stability and resilience in conflict zones.</p>

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Expressing agency and coping strategies during Yemen’s armed conflict: a case study of women beneficiaries’ responses to an enhanced resilience program

  • Ghaidaa Motahar

摘要

This study highlights the importance of strengthening women’s agency in Yemen, given that they are disproportionately affected by the ongoing civil war. Women-headed households, already vulnerable because of pre-existing gendered inequalities, face a complex task in balancing the demands of survival against the unequal sociocultural expectations placed upon them. I argue that their main coping strategies for surviving and maintaining livelihoods are simultaneously demonstrations of women’s agency that navigates social constraints through a degree of compliance with communal norms within a conservative context. Using the context of an Enhanced Resilience Program, I investigated how women in two governorates run by the Ansar Allah (Houthis) and the internationally recognized government were able to demonstrate some resilience despite the program’s shortcomings. I identified how women’s engagement in problem-solving mechanisms, support-seeking, cognitive and behavioral escape-avoidance, and religious coping strategies were also implicitly expressions of agency, which could have been accounted for in designing humanitarian interventions. Thus, I emphasize how humanitarian actors must recognize, support, and amplify women’s agency through gender-sensitive and inclusive interventions. These may not only enhance individual wellbeing but also contribute to broader societal stability and resilience in conflict zones.