MP Shawki al-Qadhi, President of the National Organization for Community Development NODSYEMEN announced on Monday (March 6, 2013) his organization will launch a new program directed at empowering women and promoting their participation in Yemen political and social life, the Women Leadership Program.
The program which is fund entirely by WB (World Bank)and sponsored by officials from the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training among others will last six months in its experimental phase and will target a group of 30 women, all from different walks of life and formations (civil society sector, political activists and independents) to undergo a special training which aims to prepare for integrating Yemen political and social arena.
All participants will submit to a rigorous training course schedule for 14 weeks, broken up into theoretical and practical teaching.
MP al-Qadhi explained the program aimed essentially to reflect a change in attitude in the country as women were increasingly becoming active components of society, having stepped out of the shadows during 2011 popular uprising.
2011 saw the rise of strong women leadership (Nobel Peace price winner, Tawakkul Karman, Amal al-Basha, Bushra al-Makhtari, Rasha Jarhum).
Launched as a center for development and training in 1996, and established as a non-governmental organization in 2006, NODS Yemen promotes democracy, human rights, and active citizenship as the basis for development.
NODS Yemen believes that active dialogue between communities and institutions is key to ensuring effective development. It works to enhance this through raising awareness of development issues and enabling individuals and groups within communities to participate in development activities and discussions within a secure and safe environment.
NODS new Women Leadership Program is set to promote community leadership and gender equality , a relatively new notion in Yemen traditional society where women are traditionally relegated to domestic chores.
Women rights activists hailed the move as positive since it will enable women to establish themselves as viable and worthy partners in society on all levels, economic, political and social.