Women in Yemen take to the streets Yemeni Women in America stick to their kitcken

While the women in the middle east take to the streets women in the west are busy staying in doors.
I say this because I am heartbroken. I'm sad for Yemen. It pains me because I know we could be doing so much more. It seems like people in the west have forgotten what or why we are fighting, its not just about an idea of saleh stepping down.. it's a whole concept that we are trying to demolish but it seems that many people have forgotten or maybe just dont understand that it is? it is a fight for freedom- a fight to regain our dignity.. What makes me really sad is that we will not be able to reach that goal if women are not stepping up. We are facing a big problem here in the states and that is the lack of women presence. I seem to look right and left for yemeni-american women to join me in my efforts to echo the demands of the Youth but its been a hard and heartbreaking struggle. women in Yemen have long played a pivotal role and this is a nation that for more than 33 yrs they have been oppressed but look at them today- woman are out in the streets demanding for their freedom and voicing their demands and concerns. It's so beautiful to see. But, us, the people in the states.. who are able to freely express our opinions and use it to advocate on behalf of the struggling yemenis and really MAKE A DIFFERENCE- arent. oh the irony and disgust of it all. It shatters me to pieces because this mentality of not letting women speak or not encouraging them or empowering them is affecting the ability for us Yemeni americans to go forward. How can we ask for a democratic state, demand freedom and justice when we are not at all succeeding in empowering the human rights of women here? How can we be advocating for a society to be built based on equality, dignity and human rights when we are not doing our part here in empowering our women here? In order to turn our apathy into hardcore activism and see an end to this bloodshed in Yemen, a women's presence becomes important. The presence of Yemeni women is so important to the future of Yemen and society as a whole and people dont seem to understand that. Many and I apologize for generalizing as i am sure this does not go to many of you but Yemenis in the u.s. are going backwards. we need to be giving those who were once hopeless a voice and selfworth. How can some advocate and say they support this when they themselves are not letting their sister-their wife or their cousin speak up? if half the population is silenced how are we expecting to be sucessful in bringing change. It is a violation of our dignity and it breaks my heart because with all of this being said i bet you many women dont see it and won't agree.

BBC News - Yemen protests: Women take centre stage