Griffiths to Yemeni women conference: "We have to walk an uphill"

The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, took part this morning in the first day of the Yemeni Women Conference “Mediators for Peace”, organized by UN Women in Amman.

Addressing the opening of the conference, Griffiths extended thanks to UN Women for organizing this conference, and for all the Yemeni women who traveled to take part in this important event. The Special Envoy stressed the important role of Yemeni women in reaching an inclusive peace. He highlighted the contribution of the Women Technical Advisory Group, which worked closely with him during the Sweden Consultations, and will continue to work in the upcoming rounds of consultations.

The Special Envoy reiterated his conviction that the inclusion of women brings a better understanding of the conflict in Yemen and is crucial for a successful peace process. He expressed hope to see increased women representation at the formal level in future consultations. “We have to walk an uphill, with regard to women inclusion as well as other issues,” said Griffiths.

The Special Envoy also stressed his keenness to ensure a better inclusion of women, youth and civil society representatives through different tools, other than the formal participation in official forums.

The Yemeni Women Conference “Mediators for Peace”, which is organized by UN Women, brings together 100 Yemeni women, representing all walks of the Yemeni society, to discuss over two days the role of Yemeni women in peace-making and peace-building in Yemen.