The Yemen conflict that is now in its second decade is still taking a toll on civilians. Women and girls are especially vulnerable as they are exposed to gender-based violence and structural discrimination to a greater extent. By 2025 humanitarian organizations had registered a worrying surge in physical abuse cases, rape and forced marriage especially in regions where armed groups had control. The UN office of coordination of humanitarian affairs estimates that over 9.6 million women and girls in Yemen do not have access to sexual and reproductive health services, or gender-based violence.
Long-term insecurity has destroyed essential infrastructure such as health systems and social support systems. Women who have been displaced by conflict- approximately 80% of all displaced Yemenis frequently face exploitative conditions, in camps as well as in informal settlements. Economic hardship is another factor that increases this vulnerability forcing many people into unsafe labor or forced marriage. Armed groups have in most instances placed extreme limits on the movement of women as well as their social involvement further diminishing already weak rights guarantees.
France’s diplomatic response and policy framework
In October 2025, the ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in France published an official statement denouncing the increasing violence and repression of Yemeni women. The declaration was deeply worried about alleged abuses and urged all players to adhere to international humanitarian and human rights law. French authorities once again reinforced their support to women and girls protection measures by the UN, and insisted that conflict parties honor their commitments under the Security Council Resolution 1325 that underscores the contributions of women in the peacebuilding process.
The French government emphasized the need to incorporate gender-specific interventions in humanitarian responses and peace talks. France also revived investments in efforts to combat gender-based violence in conflict territories as part of its objectives in foreign policy, which will focus on NGOs working against it in Yemen and transit hubs of the region.
Support for women’s inclusion in peace processes
In addition to humanitarian advocacy, France has emphasized the importance of involving women in both formal and informal conflict resolution systems. The French diplomats with the UN Special Envoy to Yemen are still urging Yemeni negotiating parties to incorporate women representatives and gender advisors in the dialogue processes. This position also indicates the wider engagement of France in the Women, Peace, and Security agenda and its adherence to its 2023-2027 National Action Plan on the realization of applicable international frameworks.
In spite of all these efforts, there are barriers. In Yemen, there are only a few peace efforts that have women in significant leadership positions. Numerous activists are harassed or interrogated, some of them work in exile because of threats to their safety. The role of France brings to the fore the importance of the international protection of women mediators and the diplomatic pressure to make peace-making efforts gender inclusive.
Humanitarian risks facing women and girls
The health infrastructure in Yemen is continuing to crumble due to the burden of conflict and long term underinvestment. Most of the reproductive health centers and women shelters have been shut down or are temporarily operating because of security threat and shortage of resources according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) updates of 2025. Over 1.5 million pregnant or breastfeeding women have acute malnutrition which increases maternal and infant mortality risks substantially.
More than 820,000 individuals received life-saving services in UNFPA-supported clinics in the first half of 2025, but growing demands and decreasing donor funding have created service gaps particularly in rural and conflict prone regions. The number of available trained medical professionals is limited, which is further restricted by the movement restrictions, which limits women in receiving the necessary care.
Economic marginalization and forced dependency
Women are still bearing the brunt of economic collapse particularly the ones who are leading households without the support of men. Women are still not engaged in the formal workforce with only 6% of women being reported to be employed. This has forced many to informal markets or survival tactics which subject them to more exploitation.
There has been a rush in early marriage which has been regarded by most families as a survival strategy amidst poverty. Girls’ education has also been greatly hampered especially in regions dominated by conservative militias which have enforced gender restrictions on school attendance. France and allies have continued to put these concerns on the agenda of the UN, stressing the interdependency of education, economic empowerment and long-term resilience of women in post-conflict societies.
The call for accountability and legal protection
Human rights organizations still document the arrest, torture, and harassment of the women human defenders of human rights as well as the human aid workers. Cases of arbitrary arrest and disappearance into incommunicado are documented to show the risks that women who speak out or engage in civil society will face. These violations go unpunished because there are no mechanisms of judicial accountability in place.
The reaction of France to these acts has been aligned with its general diplomacy on human rights. The French government has urged that abuses by all sides in Yemen be investigated independently, and has backed efforts to gather evidence and hold all responsible under international law. Such calls are being resonated by other member states of the European Union and civil societies that insist on the international humanitarian law being observed without fail.
Alignment with UN and EU human rights frameworks
The UN Security Council efforts to strengthen peace by focusing on women protection complements the approach of France. The work completed under Resolution 1889 and 2467 is to reinforce the systems that will be used to stop sexual violence and administer justice to victims. France is still an active contributor to these initiatives, promoting services to survivors and the introduction of gender sensitivity in ceasefire and post-conflict reconstruction strategies.
In 2025, the European External Action Service (EEAS) also introduced a thematic priority on gender and conflict with Yemen being a focus country on the same. This framework aims at making sure the EU humanitarian and development initiatives strengthen legal safeguards on women along with advocating access to education, healthcare, and livelihood services.
The ongoing French involvement in the humanitarian crisis in Yemen points to a wider tendency of foreign policy to embrace gender-based issues as one of the strategic goals. The ongoing violence against women is a reminder of the urgency of developing diplomatic promises into practical results by international actors. With the ongoing complex war in Yemen, gender-based violence response will challenge the attractiveness and sustainability of the international human rights mechanisms. The changing reality requires a long-term focus and creative supporting systems with emphasis on the rights and dignity of women in the unavoidable combination of war, displacement, and deprivation.
