PhD Degree Awarded to Ms. Khairiyah Ali Mohammed in Sociology

Ms. Khairyah Ali Mohammed Al-Radaee was awarded a PhD degree in the sociology of women for her dissertation titled “Social Status of Yemeni Women and its Impact on their Political Empowerment: An Applied Sociological Study of the Reality of Yemeni Women in the Capital Secretariat (Sana’a),” which was submitted to the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The PhD dissertation defense was held on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, corresponding to Safar 25, 1447 Hijri.

The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Post-Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

#	Committee Members	Designation	Position
1	Prof. Afaf Ahmed Ahmed Al-Haimi	Internal Examiner	Chair
2	Prof. Qaed Ahmed Noman Al-Sharjabi	Main Supervisor	Member
3	Assoc. Prof. Omar Saeed Ali Ishaq	External Examiner	Member

The dissertation, which was an applied sociological study on the reality of Yemeni women in the Capital Secretariat (Sana’a), aimed to explore the current social status of Yemeni women and its impact on their political empowerment. The study also identified key challenges that hinder Yemeni women’s political empowerment.

The dissertation sample included 125 Yemeni women who hold senior positions in various sectors of society and 25 experts and individuals interested in women’s issues, both male and female

The dissertation revealed several important findings, including:

The primary cause of women’s weak social and cultural empowerment is societal discrimination.
The main obstacle preventing women from holding senior leadership positions is gender-based discrimination.
The key reasons for the marginalization of women’s political participation are weak enforcement of legislation and laws, coupled with the dominance of traditional cultural norms regarding women’s roles.

The dissertation recommended:

Raising public awareness about the importance of women’s roles.
Improving the level of education, training, and professional development for women.
Enhancing the role of media in supporting Yemeni women.

The PhD dissertation was examined and recommended by the Viva-Voce Committee for acceptance and approval. The PhD defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, interested students, the candidate’s colleagues, and family members.