Empowering and protecting Yemeni women and girls

Project Report:
Empowerment and Protection of Women and Girls Affected by the War in Yemen

Reporting Period: June–August 2026
Project Location: Yemen
Grantee Organization: Sanid Organization for Relief and Development (SORD)
Report Prepared by: Shaif Ezzedine
Position: Project Manager
Email: Programs.officer@sanid.org
Website: www.sanid.org

1. Introduction

Women and girls in Yemen are among the groups most severely affected by the ongoing conflict. They face heightened risks of gender-based violence (GBV), displacement, exploitation, and limited access to essential services.

The project aims to provide protection, support, and empowerment to women and girls affected by the war in Yemen through a range of activities and interventions designed to strengthen their resilience, promote self-reliance, and support their meaningful participation in community recovery and development processes.

The project also seeks to raise awareness of the importance of protecting women and girls from all forms of violence, including exploitation and sexual abuse, while promoting gender equality and women's empowerment.

2. Project Objectives

The project aims to contribute to creating a sustainable and resilient environment for women and girls in Yemen by providing them with the necessary tools, resources, and support to strengthen their self-reliance and enable them to exercise greater control over their lives and contribute as agents of change within their communities.

Specific objectives include:

• Reducing all forms of violence against women and girls, particularly among conflict-affected and highly vulnerable populations.
• Strengthening women's and girls' access to protection services and support mechanisms.
• Promoting self-reliance through livelihood opportunities and economic empowerment interventions.
• Raising awareness of women's rights and protection from violence, exploitation, and sexual abuse.
• Strengthening gender equality and women's meaningful participation in decision-making processes.
• Supporting women and girls to become agents of change within their families and communities.

3. Overall Project Goal

To improve the living conditions of women and girls affected by the war in Yemen by providing protection, access to essential services, and economic and social empowerment.

The project seeks to address both the immediate protection needs of vulnerable women and girls and their longer-term capacity to become active participants and decision-makers within the context of the ongoing crisis.

4. Key Project Components

4.1 Protection Services

The project provides direct protection-related services, including:

• Legal consultations and assistance.
• Protection monitoring activities.
• Awareness-raising on protection risks, including mine-risk awareness.
• Referrals to relevant service providers.
• Gender-Based Violence (GBV) case management support.

4.2 Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment

The project seeks to strengthen women's access to livelihood opportunities by providing displaced and vulnerable women with:

• Skills development and vocational training.
• Income-generating activities.
• Access to microfinance opportunities where applicable.
• Support to strengthen their ability to meet their own needs and those of their families.

4.3 Strengthening Protection Mechanisms

The project implements interventions aimed at preventing and responding to all forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA).

These interventions include:

• Establishment and/or support of safe spaces.
• Legal assistance.
• Psychosocial Support (PSS) services.
• Referral and protection mechanisms.

4.4 Women as Agents of Change

The project supports women by strengthening their knowledge, skills, and confidence to participate in decision-making processes at different levels, including within humanitarian response and peacebuilding efforts.

5. Beneficiaries and Activities Implemented

Reporting Period: June–August 2026

The project targeted women and girls affected by the war in Yemen, with particular attention to displaced and economically vulnerable households.

Key Activities and Outputs

        Activity                                                                                                                      Output / Reach

  Awareness-raising sessions on women's protection and rights                                   8 sessions; 49 women and girls reached

Group psychosocial support sessions delivered by female psychosocial specialists   8 sessions; 42 women and girls reached

ndividual psychosocial support sessions delivered by female specialists                     15 cases supported

Legal consultations, material assistance, and referrals to service providers for GBV cases             7 GBV cases supported

Women and girls completing the sewing training program                                                               15 participants graduated

Women and girls continuing sewing skills training                                                                        22 participants

The organization maintains confidential documentation for GBV cases in accordance with the information provided in the report.

6. Key Achievements

During the reporting period, the project achieved the following:

• 49 women and girls participated in eight awareness-raising sessions on women's protection and rights.
• 42 women and girls benefited from eight group psychosocial support sessions.
• 15 individual cases received psychosocial support.
• 7 GBV cases received legal consultations, material assistance, and referrals to relevant service providers.
• 15 women and girls completed the sewing training program.
• 22 women and girls continued participating in sewing skills training.

These activities contributed to strengthening access to protection services, psychosocial support, legal assistance, and livelihood-related skills among vulnerable women and girls.

 7. Challenges and Constraints

The project faced several challenges during implementation:

Limited Resources

Limited financial and operational resources constrained the organization's ability to provide comprehensive assistance to women and girls participating in protection activities.

Difficult Socioeconomic Conditions

Many beneficiary women and girls are living in extremely difficult circumstances, making it challenging to provide adequate material assistance and even basic food support to those requiring protection assistance.

Limited Access to Legal Protection

Some women and girls affected by violence have limited access to adequate legal protection and assistance.

8. Recommendations

Based on the challenges identified during implementation, the following recommendations are proposed:

1. Continue supporting the project to ensure continuity of protection and empowerment services for vulnerable women and girls.
2. Provide food assistance to eligible women and girls who require protection and humanitarian support.
3. Provide access to legal counsel/legal assistance to support women and girls in addressing protection-related and legal cases.

• Women and Girls' Protection and Empowerment in Yem (DOCX)