YEMEN Access to Education 2012
In every single report I read in preparation for this project, Yemen was lagging behind on most levels. From large-scale humanitarian crisesto political instability, this troubled country has been on a downward spiral for a long time.
As it is the least developed country in the Arab world, access to education is one of the biggest challenges facing girls in Yemen. Two thirds of Yemeni women are illiterate.
My visit to Yemen came after the events that swept through the region from 2011 that were dubbed the Arab Spring. The country was left in tatters after the ousting of president Ali Abdullah Saleh, but this was merely a prelude to what would soon degenerate into a civil, and then a regional war.
The help of my Yemeni friend, the photographer Boushra Almutawakel, was crucial for this part of the project. She introduced me to Nouria Najm, who runs the Yemen Education and Relief Organization (YERO) providing women with grants to pursue higher education.
Considering that a mere 27% of girls make it to secondary school, I wondered about the rate of those reaching high school or even university. With the help of YERO, I spent three weeks with several women who were the first members in their families to pursue higher education.
I asked them the question: “What stood in the way of your education?
