Al-Hodeidah – Local sources in Yemen’s Al-Hodeidah province have disclosed that Houthi militias are resorting to new methods of exploiting women in coercive mobilization activities, in an attempt to bypass widespread public rejection of their project within the Tihama community after failing to recruit men into their events.

According to the sources, the head of mobilization in the province, Ahmed al-Bashri, assigned two women from Hajjah province known as “Umm Ali” and “Umm al-Bara” to lead efforts targeting women from the families of tribal sheikhs and community leaders. 

The women reportedly used a mix of intimidation and financial incentives across several districts, most notably in Al-Mughallaf district.

The sources added that the group allocated large sums of money exceeding 126 million Yemeni rials, distributed through so-called “mobilization committees” to organize women’s gatherings. 

These events were later presented in the media as religious occasions, including one held in the courtyard of a small school under the pretext of celebrating the birth anniversary of Lady Fatima al-Zahra.