Wojoud Mejalli (25) from Yemen is a friend and matchmaker of Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman, whom she meets in a week. Mejalli moved to Norway after threats in his home country. Now she wants to create a radio station.
(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
- Wojoud Mejalli, you have for many years worked for human rights in Yemen side by side with peace prize winner Karman. What does it take to build a democratic society there?
- One of the biggest challenges is how the Jeminite culture relates to women. Proclaiming the rights of women and children is not popular. In 2008, when I wrote an article about child marriage, I met a lot of opposition from my surroundings. They did not want Yemen to appear "bad" to Western countries.
- Why did you move to Norway?
- When I participated in this year's international student festival in Trondheim (ISFIT), I met my current girlfriend, who is Norwegian. Yemen is one of the most conservative societies in the world. The news that I had a relationship with a Norwegian man was not well received by my family. There is no legislation that protects women in that situation, so when my family turned to me, I considered it safest to move out of the country.
- So what is needed to make the actual situation in the country visible?
- Focus on topics such as this is necessary to change the situation. It is especially important for young women. To ensure women the rights and security they are entitled to, a proper change in the law is needed. An example is the lack of punishment for so-called honor killings.
On November 23, Saleh signed a power transfer agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council. What does it mean for the development in the country?
- Through the signing of the transfer of power agreement, Saleh has been given the opportunity to appear as a president who stands for his country. Suddenly, the rebels are the country's "enemies", while he, after signing the agreement, appears as a savior. But the signing makes no difference to the youth and rebels in the country. Electricity is still turned off, and the humanitarian situation is deteriorating every day.
- How do you plan to continue your work for change in Yemen now that you live in Norway?
-It is important for me to make sure that information comes out of the country. The revolution would have gone faster if more women were involved, and will work for more women to become politically active. I also want to start a Yemeni exile radio in Norway, to ensure Yemen an independent voice.
- But your collaboration with Karman, then?
- Karman is a good friend and colleague of mine. I have worked with Karman since the start of the organization Women Journalists Without Chains in 2006, and I intend to continue with that. I look forward to meeting her when she arrives in Oslo to receive the Nobel Prize on 10 December. ■
(This is an excerpt from Ny Tid's weekly magazine 02.12.2011. Read the whole thing by buying Ny Tid in newspaper retailers all over the country, or by subscribing to Ny Tid - click here. Subscribers receive previous editions free of charge as PDF.)
