Sanaa handicrafts exhibition offers Yemeni women business opportunities

Local women in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday showcased their entrepreneurial spirit and resilience in overcoming the hardships bought by a prolonged war via an exhibition organized by a non-governmental organization.

Organized by the Sakha Foundation as part of the Productive Families Program, the event, gathered 35 women on Sunday, the International Women's Day, including those who are deaf and non-speaking, showcasing a diverse array of homemade products from food items to crafts. Their aim is to build reliable sources of income and lessen dependence on humanitarian aid.

Behind a modest table, Naseem Al-Maamari, a mother of five, sells homemade cleaning products she makes at home. Her story is one of everyday resilience in a country depleted by war and adversity.

After the conflict disrupted her family's peaceful life, she became the sole provider for her children, turning her small business into a vital lifeline to ensure food and essentials.

"We make this product to support our family and achieve self-sufficiency. Because of the difficulties we face, we started this small project so we can raise our children and secure a living under the conditions our country is going through, with the disasters and wars it has witnessed," she said.

Naseem's experience is emblematic of a broader trend among Yemen's women, who have increasingly taken on economic roles in the face of instability as the economy and living standards in the country have sharply declined after being ravaged by over a decade of conflict.

"The main goal of organizing this exhibition is to support local productive families. Some families run small home-based businesses, but customers cannot easily reach them. So I provided this space to serve as a sales point for their products. All the booths here were opened free of charge by the foundation, as a way to support and assist these families," said Radwan Al-Kabsi, the exhibition director.

Visitors expressed appreciation for the event’s significance.

"Today we came to visit the exhibition. It features many different products, and all of them belong to productive families. What makes it special is that everything on display is handmade. There are no imported products from outside," said Nabila Ahmed, a visitor. International observers highlight the profound shifts occurring within Yemen. The conflict has left women responsible for supporting more than a quarter of households, pushing many into the informal labor market. These women face double hardships, surviving in an economy that has been weakened and destabilized by displacement, economic collapse, and the breakdown of essential services.

Sanaa handicrafts exhibition offers Yemeni women business opportunities

Taiwan's representatives emphasized the need to enhance cross-Strait integration during a group meeting at the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on Sunday.

The "two sessions" are the annual meetings of China's supreme organ of state power, the NPC, and its top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Both bodies serve five-year terms and hold a plenary session each year.

The fourth session of the 14th NPC and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC kicked off in Beijing on March 5 and March 4, respectively.

Despite Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities' attempts to stir up tension and create confrontation, cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation have navigated those obstacles and made significant progress, said the representatives.

"In the past year, personnel exchanges across the Strait exceeded 5 million, reaching a new high in nearly six years. The facts demonstrate that people on both sides of the Strait are one family, and no one can sever the bonds that unite family members," said Yan Ke, an NPC deputy from Taiwan.

"I believe that the national identity of the Taiwanese compatriots is rooted in the shared history and culture of both sides of the Taiwan Strait, deeply connected by kinship and blood ties. This is something that no amount of political manipulation can break," said Zhou Qi, another NPC deputy from Taiwan.

The representatives also highlighted the cultural identity Taiwanese youths share with the mainland, encouraging them to pursue their life goals on the mainland.

"Despite the long-term influence of misguided historical education and 'de-Sinicization' attempts in Taiwan, many Taiwanese youth still long to visit their ancestral homeland on the mainland. This represents a return to kinship and an awakening of cultural identit," said Zeng Liqun, an NPC deputy from Taiwan.

"As long as you have talent, capability and an understanding of your strengths, you will achieve your lifelong dreams during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030)," said Chen Yunying, another NPC deputy from Taiwan.

NPC deputies from Taiwan advocate for strengthening cross-Strait integration