Yemeni women marry abroad for a better life, but many are left disappointed

Yemeni women marry abroad for a better life, but many are left disappointed Submitted by MEE correspondent on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 11:01 Some young women leave Yemen by marrying foreigners, but these marriages often fail, forcing them to return home A Yemeni woman applies henna on her hand in Sanaa on 2 December 2024 (Mohammed Huwais/AFP) Off For many young Yemeni women, the possibilities of leaving the country are tightly constrained. Unlike men, who in large numbers have left over the past 11 years in search of work and stability abroad, often heading to Gulf countries, women’s mobility is restricted by strict social norms and the requirement of a male guardian, or mahram, to travel. For some, marriage to a wealthy foreign man has emerged as an alternative route out of the country and towards a more secure future.