Women of the South Celebrate IWD in Aden the capital
SMA NEWS – ADEN THE CAPITAL
Women of the South celebrated International Women’s Day, observed every year on March 8, on Wednesday in the capital, Aden, with a joyful rhetorical and artistic celebration organized by the Supreme Committee of Women of the South, under the generous patronage of President Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Vice-Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), and in the presence of Mr. Fadhl Al-Gaadi, Deputy Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of the Presidium of the STC, Dr. Mohammed Al-Zaouri, minister of Social Affairs and Labour in the government, several members of the Presidium of the STC, the Internal Southern National Dialogue Team (ISNDT), and a number of leaders and officials from various bodies of the STC and civil and military state institutions.
Dr. Najwa Fadhl, advisor to the president of the STC for Women’s Affairs and head of the Supreme Coordinating Committee for Civil Society Organizations, delivered a speech at the beginning of the celebration, in which she welcomed the attendees of this major women’s event on the occasion of International Women’s Day, which includes women from all governorates of the South under the banner, flag, and name of the South, noting that this day before the year 1990 was celebrated as a day off in all state institutions, and this event was canceled by the North like many other laws, including the Family Law, which protected the rights of women and children, and demanded the restoration of the symbolism of this day.
Dr. Najwa said that women are the cornerstone and pillar of society, referring to the suffering of Southern women and how they have burdened a lot and are still paying for their steadfast positions, underscoring the rejection of the sidelining and deliberate exclusion of women of the South from decision-making positions, calling for the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement and Consultations and for empowering southern women, affirming that women of the South will never accept marginalization and exclusion, and they are the ones who experienced and seen things that no man should have witnessed in the war and made the ultimate sacrifices.
Najwa concluded her speech by emphasizing the competence of southern women and their ability to manage state centers and not just subaltern positions given to them here and there, calling on women of the South to raise their voices and wishing them a decent and honourable life.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Zaouri gave a speech in which he congratulated women of the South on International Women’s Day, asserting the historic and national struggle roles of women of the South throughout history and stressing that all political elites have to empower southern women and revive their leadership role in the national liberation movement of the South. And by giving them the opportunity to assume leadership positions in the structures of all state institutions, he concluded his speech by wishing women of the South all success and further achievements.
The International Women’s Day celebration, which witnessed the massive participation of women from various governorates of the South, began with a fragrant recitation of the verses of the Holy Quran, followed by the national anthem of the South, which was sung by a choir from the young blooms of the South, and then the attendees stood for a minute to tributely read Al-Fatiha for the souls of the martyrs of the South.
The celebration included a display of flags of the South and laurel wreaths presented by young female children, national hymns, artistic paintings, and a national poem, in addition to a documentary film on the role of women in their uncompromising struggle and effectively productive work.
International Women’s Day was concluded by honouring a large group of southern female activists throughout the history of the revolution in the South in appreciation of their struggle and the final sacrifices they made for the sake of the homeland.
