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12/25/2005
Research and Applied Studies Department
WRTCAU

Research and Applied Studies Department

The Woman Research and Training Center is a scientific center in the Aden University. It was founded in 1998 and has a research department which aims at studying the position of women in different areas, such as development, political life, decision-making, education, health, culture and other social services, economy, law, science and technology. It aims at presenting the results of the studies through publication and by mainstreaming its results in education and policy formulation.

Since its foundation, the center has carried out several studies, like for example: 1) Polygamy between Shariah and the law and its effects on the family in the Yemeni society; 2) Violence against women; 3) Gender and labour: the economic status of the Yemeni family; 4) The role of gender in school books; 5) Cultural factor influencing gender in Yemen. Most of these studies are published in books by the Aden University printing house.

The Center also carries out studies in co-operation with other institutions, like for example in 2005, studies were conducted on the needs of youth (together with UNFPA in Yemen) and  on decision-making in the family (together with CAWTHER, Tunesia).

Research activities in 2005, through the NUFFIC project.

In 2005, the Women Research and Training Center developed a research programme entitled 'Gender inequality and social change in Yemeni Livelihoods' covering the period 2005-2006.

Funding was received from the Netherlands Embassy, of a total amount of 5000 Euro for two years. The NUFFIC project contributes 5000 Euro per year for research.

Various researchers from the main faculties of the Aden University will participate. Those faculties are: Education, Management, Economics, Medicine, Agriculture, Law, Art and Engineering. Subsequently, this research programme will represent different studies from different scientific areas.

The objective of the research programme is to enhance gender equality in Yemeni livelihood by exploring gender inequalities in selected livelihood areas, by focusing on constraints women face due to their gender and by feeding the results from research into policy formulation.

Integral aims of the research programme are:

• To support and stimulate women/gender research.
• To strengthen the research capacity of the Aden University, particularly of women academia in non-stereotypical areas of science.
• To establish the Women Research and Training Center as a well known research Center in the region.
• To integrate the results from research into BSc and diploma courses. An important trade off is that those lecturers who are involved in gender research through this research programme, will improve their capability to integrate gender at BSc level, even through their own courses.
• To provide a research programme for higher Diploma degree students. The WRTC is currently formulating a diploma programme in Women/Gender and Development that will start in September 2006. Students will finalise their diploma programme by writing their thesis and this research programme will help to provide topics for their research.

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The different studies will explore gender inequality in Yemeni livelihood and how gender equality can be enhanced.  The livelihood areas that were selected are 1) education; 2) health and reproductive rights; 3) family relations and migration; 4) income and resources; 5) political participation 6) legal issues.  Those issues emerged from the faculties, the NUFFIC project and the interest/expertise of the various researchers themselves.

Studies carried out in those specific areas in 2005

Education

1. A study about curriculum development: how to integrate gender in the curriculum of the Aden University (Dr Shifa, Dr Nadia and Dr Carin); the study was completed, see paper for the conference.

2. A study on girl education (Dr Aniz). The study was completed, see paper for the conference.

3. A study about women academics in the Engineering faculty (Dr Asma Remi and Dr Farial Al Gabr); has be postponed to 2006

4. A study about women and ICT in Yemen (Dr Rokhsana Ismail and Dr Farial Al Gabr); was completed, see paper for the conference 

5. A study about the attitude of academic female lecturers towards gender issues at Aden University (by Dr Aniza Abood and Dr Asmaheen Al Allas); study will be conducted in 2006.

Health and reproductive rights

1) The aspect of teeth problems in the family: a comparison between boys and girls (Dr Ahlam); study was carried out, in the process of writing the paper.

2) A study on reproductive health; still to be formulated and to be carried out in 2006.

Family relations and migration

1. A gender study on the livelihood strategies of Yemeni Returnees from Somalia in Basateen, Aden (MSc student from the Netherlands) (has funds for research and collaborates with the Center through the Senior advisor of the NUFFIC project. Thesis was completed and an article is being written for publication.

2. A study about Somali refugees, focusing on drop-outs in education in Kharaz refugee camp (MSc student from the Netherlands) (has funds for research and collaborates with the Center through the Senior advisor of the NUFFIC project. Study was completed and a thesis is being written.

3. A study about the socio-psychological impact of polygamy (Dr Abdul Rahim). Study was completed and paper is presented at conference.

4. A study about children without nationality. Study needs to be formulated and to be implemented.

3.4 Income and resources

1. A study on women and business in Aden (Dr Carin). Study was completed, see paper for the conference.

2. A study on the gendered irrigated production and water use in Tuban and Abyan deltas. Study will be formulated and be carried out in 2006.

3. The benefits of beekeeping (Dr Faiza). Study will be conducted in 2006.

4. Gendered household budgets (to be elaborated by Dr Suaad and Dr Ebtihag). Study will be conducted in 2006.

3.5 Political participation

1. How to strengthen the political participation of women in Yemen? Study will be conducted in 2006.

2. Factors influencing empowerment (Dr El Sagaf).  Study will be conducted in 2006.

3.6 Legal matters

1. Assessment of the present legal status of women in Yemen and the legal changes in the past 5 years (Dr Suhair). Study was conducted, the paper is finalised.

Consultancy activities

In 2005, consultancies were not carried out by the WRTC. The center had decided that it first must focus on capacity building.  In 2005 the staff of the Center was occupied with training abroad, project activities, the lecturing of their courses and with research. In addition, no consultancy requests were received.

The capacity of the WRTC to conduct acquisition for research on Gender/Women and development issues will be gradually developed and other consultancy services will be provided.