This photo essay was produced by Bridgette Jensen and two other members of Al Jisr Collective.
“As long as I am able to leave the house and stand well, I will not hesitate to work,” said Hanan, a 42-year-old Yemeni mother with one daughter and two sons.
Hanan has a business diploma. In 2018 she decided to start selling home-cooked meals at a market in "Sirah" to provide for her family.
"Sirah" is a district in the Aden Governorate in Yemen. It is unofficially known as "Crater" since it is located on the mouth of a dormant volcano.
"Crater Market" is a large market taking up many streets in the heart of the city. Each street offers different items such as food or clothes. Vendors sell their merchandise at varying prices so the market is suitable for many for shopping.
Hanan and her husband, Abu Omar, work together to run their food cart business. Abu Omar used to be a chef, but the restaurant where he worked closed a few years ago. He then started teaching Hanan how to cook. Their signature flavor is achieved through the use of Indian spices, which shine through in their dishes.
We visited Hanan in the kitchen where she prepares her food. She told us: “When we started this business, I used to cook at home. I tried to rent a car to help me in my business but that was costly and I couldn’t manage. ... so I rented a little kitchen close to the market, and now I cook in it completely and for me, carrying the ingredients from the shop is not a big problem anymore.”
Hanan walks 20 minutes from her house to the market. She sells her food every day of the week from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Her husband then takes over until midnight. They only take time off once they have earned enough money to pay off the rent of the kitchen. When that happens they will give themselves three days of rest. The income they make is hardly enough to support themselves, their three children and Hanan’s mother who has cancer and lives with them.
The meals Hanan makes include spicy potatoes, spicy curry potatoes and pasta with a special sauce and koshari. She told us “there wasn’t a restaurant or anyone who makes similar recipes. ... This type of food has many lovers in our country. Indian spices are really delicious and give different flavors.”
We asked Hanan how she feels on successful days at the market when she sells all of her food. She noted, “I will be so happy. When I go home, I buy coffee, different kinds of fruit and vegetables for my children. I feel good because I was able to provide everything for my house and my children.”
Hanan is not an ordinary woman compared to others in Yemen.
Most women do not work outside of their homes because of constraints from male family members and society. A main role for women in Yemen is to raise children and take care of the household. However, some women, like Hanan, with the support of their families, are able to work.
In 2021, according to The World Bank, women made up only 7.8% of Yemen’s labor force. We asked Hanan how people have reacted to seeing a woman working in the market. She told us she would get bad looks when she first started but once people learned that she is working to provide for her family, they understood.
“Some people tell me that they are very proud of me as a working and struggling woman,” she said.
On the days Hanan is not able to sell all of her food, she gives away the leftover meals for free. She feels pressure for having to do this, but says, “I am always thankful for everything I have, no matter how little the interest is.”
Hanan says she loves the work that she has chosen for herself and would not want to be doing anything else. She told us that she and her husband hope to continue growing the business that they started five years ago. One day, they even hope to have a small restaurant so their customers can enjoy their food comfortably.
Al Jisr – The Bridge – is a collaboration among students and faculty from four public universities in Yemen and faculty and students at The University of Arizona. Students from University of Aden, Hadramout University, Taiz University, University of Saba Region and the UA are participating in this nine-month cultural exchange project that includes talking about media practices in Yemen and the U.S. Some student work is presented under the Al Jisr collective name for the security and safety of those contributors.