In the corner of an office, there is a calm female sitting. She deals with everything surrounding her with gentleness and affection. She turns to her notebook to write down some important notes about the case she has just received and will be in charge of in the coming days.

She has been strong-willed to make her dream true, as she decided at a moment in her life to achieve it. Safaa Nader*, 30 years old and a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Hadhramaut University, decided to exceed everyone’s expectations and chose a job considered hard, i.e., in the military field, as she currently works as a detective in the Anti- Narcotics Division - the Criminal Investigation Department in Sahel Hadhramaut. She knew that this job would be hard, and that she would face many challenges, but she was determined to succeed, she says.

Start and success

She started having training courses and learned everything she could learn in successive courses. She had one dream, which was to make Mukalla, the capital of Hadhramaut Governorate, a better place, far from the specter of drugs and their consequent crimes.

Safaa says: “I started working in the Anti-Narcotics Division as a detective for women’s section, while I was at university, when a friend of mine called me to tell me about the availability of a job for female lawyers in the Criminal Investigation Department. Fortunately, we were studying the course of investigations and forensic evidence that year, so I requested the advice of my professors at the university, including judges and lawyers, who encouraged me to have this experience.”

As for the difficulties she faced at the beginning of her work, Safaa mentions that when she has started working, the country was "on the palm of a demon" (on a conflict situation),” as she describes it. Mukalla had just been liberated from terrorist groups, and everyone was afraid of the retaliation that might take place against workers in the security and military corps at that time. The detective mentions that the first case she received was with a woman who was caught red-handed selling and making alcoholic drinks, and she was even threatened by her. Nonetheless, Safaa tells us that this job has made her gain rigor and strength in facing challenges and threats and made her feel that she is an integral part of community. Therefore, this was sufficient motivation to work to protect it by all means.

Bad bet

Everyone bet on her failure and that she would not continue in this job for a single year, including her surrounding relatives. Nevertheless, she has surprised everyone by continuing in her job, and today she is in the tenth year. So, if not successful, she would not have continued, as she says.

Safaa talks about her beginning and links it to what she has achieved so far, saying: “The officer who trained us was credited with overcoming the difficulties that we faced in the first period of our work. Currently, after nearly ten years of working as a detective in the Anti- Narcotics Division, I can say that I have become proficient in enforcing the rules of work. However, I never gave away my humanity during my work. Furthermore, I became more experienced and professional in managing investigation sessions without compromising human rights and dignity.’’

In a tone of gratitude, she adds: “The presence of female detectives in the Anti-Narcotics Division reflects the desire of the local authorities in Hadhramaut Governorate to find a balance in the power and authority between women and men in the military corps.’’ Besides, Safaa works with her other female colleagues, side by side with her fellow detective in harmony for the interest of the work. ‘’This reflects a growing awareness of the necessity of finding a gender balance in the in the in the decision-making and cultural structures of Yemeni society in general,” she says.

Outstanding leadership role

Concerning the leadership role of women and collective work, the World Bank's reports and blogs presents opinions about the leading change towards achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. The reports show that countries achieve progress when the relationships of power and influence in various political, economic and social institutions and actors are addressed, and when the reforms in institutions are associated with official transformations in social norms and collective thinking styles. The World Bank Group has an evidence base over the past ten years that demonstrates the positive impact it has had on many communities.

Although Safaa has not received her salary for more than 4 months like other military staff, she still adheres to her work, which has become an economic burden for her and her other female co-workers.

Moreover, Safaa, who loves Mukalla and has had always been part of the security system that Hadhramaut Governorate enjoys compared to the rest of the governorates that have been exhausted by war. Besides her colleagues she has become a source of inspiration for female graduates of the College of Law, as many contacted her to obtain work in this division that was once exclusive to women, and to have her advice benefiting from her practical experience. This reflects a change in society’s thinking towards empowering women and believing in their abilities and potential, which has become an urgent necessity, economically, politically, socially, and even militarily, in an environment that some consider hostile to women and inflexible with women’s needs and requirements.

 *The real name of the interviewee was changed to maintain confidentiality and respect for her.