Houthi rules: Male guardians, strict dress codes for women in public

Al-Mukalla: The Houthi rebels of Yemen have imposed stringent rules on women, banning them from appearing in public without a 'Maharam', a male guardian, and strict Islamic dress codes. Moral policewomen has taken many women from the streets in Saada for not having a Maharam, Arab News reported.

The Houthis are also allowing women to shop only from limited areas in cities. Also, to enforce the ban, female moral police officers have been deployed here.

Al-Masdar Online, the news portal, reported that Houthis had deployed loudspeaker broadcasts on cars to circulate the rules and named markets where women could shop for Ramadan and Eid.

As part of the Houthi's intensifying morality campaigns, they arrested many women for violating dress codes, banned songs at weddings, and arrested singers and artists who challenged it.

The rebel group had arrested the Yemeni actress and model Entesar Al-Hammadi, for alleged drug trade and prostitution. She remains in Houthi custody.

The latest report by the United Nations panel of Experts states that Houthis are sexually assaulting women, putting them in many kinds of physical and psychological torture, including denying them birth control.

Arab News was told by a Yemeni conflict analyst that Houthis simply wnt women to serve them as "baby-making" machines to produce fighters. Editor to Al-Masdar Online, Ali Al-Fakih, said that Houthis are using Saada city as a testing ground to experiment with their hardline rules since the city is loyal to them. They have made the city so secretive that even visitors have to inform their purpose at checkpoints to enter the city, he said. Houthis will spread the new rules in more places under their control, he added.