Master’s Degree Awarded to Mr. Mohammed Yahya Ali Ibrahim in International Development Studies
Mr. Mohammed Yahya Ali Ibrahim was awarded a Master’s Degree with distinction in International Development Studies for his thesis titled: The Impact of Development Projects on Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Yemen: A Case Study of Al-Hazm District, Al-Jawf Governorate, 2023, which was submitted to the Inclusive Development Research Center – Sana’a University. The MA defense was held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
The MA Viva-voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
| # | Committee Members | Designation | Position |
| 1 | Prof. Mohammed Yahya Al-Rafiq | External Examiner | Chair |
| 2 | Associate Prof. Elham Mohammed Al-Ridha | Main Supervisor | Member |
| 3 | Associate Prof. Ali Abdullah Al-Awadhi | Internal Examiner | Member |
The thesis aimed to:
- Identify the impact of development projects on the economic empowerment of rural women in Al-Hazm District, Al-Jawf Governorate.
The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:
- Most rural women involved in development projects in Al-Jawf Governorate were illiterate, with the illiteracy rate in the study community reaching 33.8%.
- Most small-scale development projects were handicraft-oriented in nature.
- Small development projects had a moderate but tangible impact on the economic empowerment of rural women in Al-Hazm District, Al-Jawf Governorate.
- One of the major obstacles to the economic empowerment of rural women was that small development projects required further development due to insufficient information and inadequate support.
In light of these findings, the researcher recommended the following:
- Activating literacy education programs for rural women in Al-Jawf Governorate.
- Increasing support for small development projects by international organizations and local institutions in Al-Jawf Governorate.
- Providing accessible loans for rural women through government initiatives.
- Training rural women in marketing skills to help them promote and sell their products effectively.
The defense session was attended by a number of academics, researchers, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.
