Units of female police officers patrol various public places in the city of Al-Mukalla and its outskirts, particularly parks, streets, and women's markets. These police units play pivotal and significant roles in combating violence against women in such crowded places. They provide support and assistance to women who are subjected to violence, sexual assaults, harassment, theft, and other immoral behaviors, especially after receiving a large number of complaints from women, girls, and families regarding their harassment, as stated by Lieutenant Mona Gharamah, Director of the Family and Events Protection Department and the Women's Police in the Security of the Hadramout Coast, to "Khuyut."

In this context, many activists and observers perceive the notable presence and engagement of women in the police force, especially in a conservative society like Hadramout, as a challenging achievement. However, others consider it a triumph for the representation of Yemeni women in general and Hadrami women in particular, in the military and police sectors. According to Lieutenant Gharamah, the primary duties of these units of female police officers include protecting women and children, providing security services to them, investigating crimes committed against them, and offering assistance and support to victims when needed.

A Protection Unit for Women's Interests, Not for Tracking

In turn, Lieutenant Colonel Ali Aliyan, Director of the Moral Guidance and Public Relations Department at the Security of the Hadramout Coast, affirmed to "Khuyut" that the primary and most important goal of this security plan for the city of Al-Mukalla, which includes the presence of female police elements and units, is to stand alongside citizens, protect them, and ensure their security. Additionally, the plan aims to alleviate traffic congestion and overcrowding in markets, streets, and public places. Aliyan vehemently denied what has been and is being circulated on some social media platforms regarding the alleged role of these police units and officers in tracking and pursuing women and holding them accountable for wearing tight clothes or colorful abayas in markets, streets, and public places.

In this regard, Reem Al-Nahdi, an activist from Al-Mukalla, told "Khuyut": "Seeing a specialized women's police force patrolling markets and addressing women's issues presents a positive image for the Hadrami society in general and for the Hadrami women in particular. The feeling of security and safety that women experience in such public places is indescribable, allowing them greater privacy when shopping and attending to their needs. Certainly, all of this cannot be achieved without significant effort." Al Nahdi sees the deployment of these units of female police officers in the city as a revival of the image of women in the police force, especially after the war that ravaged the country and the many other challenges that Al-Mukalla specifically faced, which led to significant changes in the city's previous civilized appearance.

“Witnessing the Hadrami women, particularly assertively entering the workforce in such new and vital domains, has the potential to dissolve barriers, customs, and traditions that hinder women's work and progress. This will further enhance societal acceptance of women and their contributions.”

As for Saleh Ba Othman, a resident of Al-Mukalla, he says in his interview with "Khuyut": "The involvement of women in the police force raises suspicions and contradicts Islamic teachings firstly and societal traditions and customs secondly. He goes further to suggest that it diminishes the importance of male security forces, police, and the army, contributing to increased unemployment among young men in arduous professions traditionally associated with men rather than women. However, Abdulrahman Al-Amoudi, a second lieutenant in the Hadramout Coastal Police, vehemently disagrees with this viewpoint and firmly asserts in an interview with "Khuyut" that all the various reasons cited to prevent Yemeni women from joining this vital and significant field are merely unjustified, unconvincing, and outdated societal constraints that have persisted unchanged for long periods. He believes 'the time has come for these restrictions to fade away and disappear," as he stated.

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The Transformation of Social Attitudes

Despite all the social and cultural challenges faced initially by this pioneering and qualitative women's police experience in Hadramout, it has managed to achieve many successes in curbing security breaches that jeopardize community safety. Hence, the urgent need for the presence of female elements in the security and police performance systems has become paramount. This was the strongest and most compelling impetus for the leadership of the Security of the Hadramout Coast, which has progressed in this experiment. The number of members of this police force in the Security of the Hadramout Coast has now reached over 280, holding various ranks and coming from diverse cultural and social backgrounds, from various districts of the Hadramout, according to Lieutenant Gharama. Moreover, according to the International Organization for Criminal Reform, the number of policewomen in the Yemeni governorates under the control of the internationally recognized Yemeni government has reached approximately 1700.

Undoubtedly, this strenuous effort has greatly contributed to transforming social attitudes within the conservative framework of Hadramout society, which is deeply rooted in its customs and traditions. It has played a significant role in fostering acceptance of the idea of the existence of women's police units and the importance of the roles they undertake. Moreover, it has encouraged stakeholders in the leadership of the Security of the Hadramout Coast to continue qualifying individuals and members of these units of female police and to assign them additional tasks over time, such as handling women's issues and investigating cases related to them.

Certainly, among these concerted efforts aimed at enhancing the work of the Women's Police Unit in Hadramout, according to Lieutenant Gharama, is the summoning of partnerships and collaboration with several local civil society organizations and international entities. This collaboration aims to facilitate the implementation of various training courses and workshops, some of which include leadership figures from the Ministry of Interior and relevant authorities. The objective is to build the capacities of female police personnel to respond to community situations and local peculiarities, as well as to enhance their gender-responsive approach within law enforcement agencies. Moreover, it aims to harness all of this to effectively engage with citizens during field missions.

During his interview with "Khuyut," Lieutenant Colonel Ali Aliyan considered that witnessing the Hadrami women, particularly assertively entering the workforce in such new and vital domains, has the potential to dissolve barriers, customs, and traditions that hinder women's work and progress. This will further enhance societal acceptance of women and their contributions. He emphasized that assigning specific tasks to women while considering others exclusively for men only serves to reinforce stereotypical perceptions and the demeaning and diminutive view of women and their pivotal and influential role as active partners in society.

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