Yemeni women support families through enterprise as economic crisis bites

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports from Taiz, Yemen, that women are increasingly helping sustain household incomes through small businesses as the country’s economic crisis and high male unemployment make stable work harder to find. The story focuses on Abu Sultan, a two-month-old fast-food restaurant run by Baleegh Al-Doba’ai and his wife, Aziza, who work together daily in a city deeply affected by Yemen’s civil war, siege conditions and bombardment.

According to the report, Baleegh returned from Saudi Arabia with equipment and the idea for a fast-food venture, but said the project became viable after Aziza helped finance it and took over daily management. He works as head chef while she oversees operations, customers and administration. The restaurant serves items such as burgers, fries, pizza and fried chicken, and reportedly draws about 30 customers a day as well as deliveries, including to students.

The article frames Abu Sultan as part of a wider rise in women-led enterprises in Taiz. Customers and local shopkeepers told Al Jazeera that women-owned food and retail businesses are becoming more visible and competitive, despite conservative social expectations that often place men in public-facing commercial roles and women in the home.

Sociologist Natheer Abdulhadi told Al Jazeera that women’s entrepreneurship is being driven by wartime financial pressure as well as growing confidence among women in their economic role. The report says income from these businesses can help families cover children’s needs and adjust household responsibilities, especially where war has disrupted traditional sources of support.