The women's wing of the Houthi militia intelligence, known as Zeinabeyyat, stormed the second headquarters of the Yemen Women's Union in Ibb governorate a year after they took over other offices, dismissing the leadership and appointing the group's loyalists.
After expelling over 60 women in a craft skills training program, the offices were converted into private residences.
"Thugs" were allowed to storm the building of the Writers Union in the governorate and destroy its contents, and according to three local sources and officials, the situation remains the same.
Local sources in the province told Asharq Al-Awsat that armed members of the Zeinabeyyat brigades, led by Suad al-Shami, stormed the second headquarters of the Yemeni Women's Union in Ibb.
The local authority in the governorate, affiliated with the Popular Congress wing, did not respond to the incident.
The head of the Yemeni Women's Union branch in the governorate, Hayat al-Kinai, sent a complaint to the Houthi-controlled governor, Abdulwahid Salah, about the incident.
Kinai stated that the women broke the door lock and replaced it with another after expelling 63 women participating in craft skills courses, urging the governor to intervene.
The document, which Asharq Al-Awsat reviewed, shows a recommendation from Salah to his agent, Mohammad al-Qasimi, to act according to the law, but, as expected, he did not take any action against the Zeinabeyyat, a source in the local authority confirmed.
The source indicated that this is the second incident targeting the headquarters of the Union in the governorate, recalling that in mid-November 2021, Shami stormed the Union offices in the al-Dhihar district.
Shami assigned a new administrative body consisting of nine figures affiliated with the militias to run the branch under her leadership.
The Houthi militias targeted women's organizations in particular and threatened to close the central headquarters of the Yemeni Women's Union.
The head of the so-called Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Faisal Modhesh, threatened to shut down the Union's leadership for organizing feminist events, including the celebration of International Women's Day.
Feminist activists reported that Modhesh informed the Union that it is no longer of use, that its mission became limited to promoting Western ideas, and that it must be closed permanently.
The Union was banned from organizing any event in any hotel or hall and could not receive approval, which forced it to organize any event in its headquarters.
The Houthi militia's intelligence had previously stormed the Businesswomen's Club in Sanaa and stopped a workshop discussing the role of businesswomen in development. Participants in the seminar were expelled, claiming there was mixing between genders, which the militia forbid.
The militia then closed the club, established two decades ago, and had a prominent presence in economic and social issues, ensuring the presence and participation of women in commercial activity.
The Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs closed dozens of independent civil society organizations because it refused to work according to its wishes.
The Council established organizations run by its leaders and supervisors and forced relief organizations to work with them to monitor all activities and manage the distribution of relief aid to militia followers and families.
