"We were desperate, but now we have reason to hope. We will persevere for that hope and strive towards it.” Bushra, Aden resident, 29 years old.
Aden/Yemen, 7 May 2023 – The uncertain security conditions in Yemen and the impact of social and economic inequalities have hindered vulnerable communities from obtaining their Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights; an issue that Bushra Saleh and her family, who inherited a house from their late grandfather in Aden but never saw a moment of peace, are facing.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, and it is ongoing to date. “Every generation born in Aden has seen war and conflict,” Bushra says. She used to live in Aden with her family but had to flee twice leaving their home city for over a year. When Bushra and her family decided to return to Aden, their house was occupied by a woman and her son.
Bushra’s grandfather died in 1985 and her grandmother in 2018, leaving behind a maid who had worked for the family for a long time in the house. The maid had insisted not to leave the house following the death of the grandmother. The maid’s daughter is a judge with a powerful stance, who has been empowering her mother under false pretenses to illegally live in the house.
Bushra and her family had to live in rented accommodations without pursuing their right, as “the courts did not operate during the war for three years,” according to Bushra. In Yemen, courts also do not operate during three specific lunar months and do not issue rulings in addition to a fourth month when judges take personal leaves. All these obstacles impose delays for vulnerable people in pursuing their rights. But not for Bushra, who is now determined to obtain her family’s rights.
“We will secure our rights; we will not stay silent.” Bushra has been empowered after attending one of the training sessions by UN-Habitat shedding light on HLP rights violations and how to address them. These sessions reached more than 1,500 people with HLP information to date.
The sessions are part of UN-Habitat’s groundbreaking project aiming to accelerate urban recovery and peacebuilding in Yemen through supporting HLP rights for vulnerable communities and improving land tenure security for women, launched in 2021. The project's primary objective is to address and map HLP rights violations affecting vulnerable communities, Internally Displaced Persons, and women.
In 2023, the impact of the project is evident in Bushra’s story, who gained a comprehensive understanding of her HLP rights and the necessary steps she needs to take to build a strong case.
With the project's guidance, Bushra was able to access the legitimate HLP documentation needed to verify her rights. She diligently went to the relevant government offices to obtain tenure documents and other papers in her grandfather's name to prove her right to the house.
Although her family still faces some challenges and concerns regarding the next court appointment, Bushra's success in knowing her rights and taking action so far is a testament to the impact of the project. The project has empowered and equipped individuals like Bushra to take charge of their lives and advocate for their rights to reach justice. "We were desperate, but now we have reason to hope. We will persevere for that hope and strive toward it."
The project is implementing other HLP-focused activities such as legal assistance, tailored training sessions for NGOs and authorities, mediation services for conflicting parties, and the piloting of the” Social Tenure Domain Model”, a participatory and affordable land tool to document residential and non-residential properties claims.
Currently, Bushra is also a powerful advocate for women's rights and empowerment. Having experienced injustice herself, she feels a strong sense of responsibility to educate other women and help them avoid falling victim to similar situations.
"I make it a point to share my knowledge with every woman I know" Bushra says. "I have been raising awareness among my friends about HLP rights, and I will continue to do so.” With her passion for empowering other women, Bushra has become a force for positive change in her community.
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