Maha Awad
Human Rights and Political Activist
Chairperson of the “Wujood for Human Security” Organization
The Revolution of September 26, 1962, was not merely a political transition but a historic turning point that freed Yemenis from the autocratic rule of the Imamate and paved the way for a republican system carrying broad hopes for freedom, justice, and citizenship. The revolution was a comprehensive national renaissance that extended beyond the political dimension to encompass social, economic, cultural, and security aspects. Yemenis aspired through it to a just, modern state based on equality and capable of meeting the ambitions of its people.
However, the course of the revolution and its aftermath were neither straightforward nor free of complexities. Internal and external factors intertwined in shaping the features of the new state. Internally, complex structural interconnections emerged between political, military, social, and tribal forces, which deeply affected the nature of state institutions. Narrow interests and mutual power struggles permeated these institutions, preventing their evolution into bodies that represented the public good. Externally, regional actors—chief among them Saudi Arabia—exploited the weakness of the Yemeni state to entrench their influence through close ties with powerful local forces, following a historical narrative that has always viewed the rise of a strong Yemeni state as a direct threat to their interests.
Even after major turning points, such as the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990 under the name of the “Republic of Yemen,” the country remained trapped in an endless cycle of power conflicts. These struggles were not mere political competition but repeated assaults on the very idea of the state itself. Power became an instrument of exclusion rather than a means of managing public interests. In the absence of an inclusive national project, the relationship between the state and its citizens remained fragile, grounded in narrow loyalties instead of a social contract guaranteeing equal rights and responsibilities.
The Houthi coup of 2014 and the full-scale war since 2015 exposed the structural weakness of the state and posed the most dangerous threat to the goals of the September Revolution. The movement revived the concept of the Imamate in a new guise under the banner of “Wilaya,” attempting to institutionalize a system of exclusion and hereditary authority—in clear contradiction to the achievements and historic responsibility of the revolution. With their military and political expansion backed by Iran, Yemen became an open stage for a regional project modeled after Hezbollah in Lebanon, carrying grave risks for Yemen’s internal cohesion as well as regional and international security.
At the same time, the real achievements of the revolution cannot be denied, even if they were gradual and partial. It paved the way for the construction of schools and universities, laid the foundation for the beginnings of civilian institutions, and launched political and social processes that contributed to reinforcing the principle of equal citizenship. Although these gains remained vulnerable to setbacks due to conflicts and divisions, they stand as proof that the goals of September are attainable—provided there is political will and a stable environment.
One of the clearest dimensions that embodies both the successes and setbacks of the revolution is the question of women’s rights. Women played a pivotal role in the revolution, even if their role was not documented as thoroughly as that of men. Under the rule of the Imamate, women suffered from marginalization and deprivation, denied access to education, work, and basic rights. The revolution gradually opened doors for their participation. Their rights were enshrined in national legislation, they entered education and public life, and in 1969 the Women’s Association was founded, later integrated into the Union of Yemeni Women after the unification of 1990. Women also benefited from international conventions ratified by the state, such as CEDAW, and from national institutions like the establishment of the National Women’s Committee in 1996, alongside civil society organizations that amplified their voices.
Despite these advances, achievements in women’s rights remained fragile and unsystematic, lacking firm political will, which allowed structural discrimination to persist. With the outbreak of the latest war, women bore a double burden: they endured displacement and poverty, while also becoming victims of violence, discrimination, and systematic violations by Houthi authorities—including arbitrary arrests, restrictions on movement, and the imposition of male guardianship even over the smallest details of their lives. These violations transcended both norms and laws, affecting not only women but families and society as a whole—one of the most painful setbacks in the pursuit of the revolution’s goals.
Today, more than six decades later, Yemen stands at a dangerous crossroads. It is no longer simply a matter of what goals of the revolution were achieved or hindered, but of safeguarding its very essence from historical regression. There are forces that seek to turn back the clock, as though the moment of revenge against its values has arrived.
The goals of the revolution cannot remain mere texts in memory or slogans for anniversaries; they are a renewable project that requires reconstruction through an integrated political, economic, social, cultural, and legal development process: from education to health, from social justice to reducing class inequalities, from women’s empowerment to consolidating the rule of law. Achieving these goals is not only an internal obligation for the Yemeni people but also a necessity for regional and international peace and security. Yemen is no longer just a local issue but a critical test of the international community’s ability to confront transnational projects that seek to undermine the concept of the nation-state.
Preserving September and renewing its liberation project is a historic task that extends beyond the generation of the revolution to include generations to come. Yemenis today, as six decades ago, face a decisive choice: either uphold the principles of freedom, equality, and dignity, or surrender to the project of “Wilaya” (divine right rule) and hereditary authority, which brings darkness and threatens to drag Yemen and the entire region back into an era of foreign tutelage and tyranny. Yet this difficult moment may also carry within it an opportunity—the chance to revive the goals of the revolution with new vigor and to forge a unifying national project that sets Yemen on the path to a modern future: a state capable of protecting its citizens and contributing to the stability of its region and the wider world
