Raising our voices- International Women's Day

On March 8th, we celebrate International Women's Day. I want to use today to support my friend, Amat Al-Alim Alsoswa.

Her opinion piece in the Washington Post cites the resilience of Yemeni women in keeping the fractured country together, despite a continued humanitarian crisis.

Recognizing the importance of including women in the political peace processes necessitates a closer look on gender-inclusive conflict resolution.

In paraphrase of Amat's words, Yemeni women are literally keeping the country alive and surviving - providing government services and healthcare, braving heavily armed areas in search of food and water, and protecting their male family members from kidnapping and forced recruitment.

We need to rise up and make sure that women are acknowledged, no matter where they are, for their resiliency, their strength and their perseverance....

"Nevertheless, she persisted."

A woman takes part in a graffiti painting campaign on a wall in Sanaa, Yemen March 15, 2017. Credit: Reuters/Khaled Abdullah