Institute For Middle East Studies

Yemeniettes follows a team of teenage girls from Sana’a as they strive to break barriers of traditional Yemeni society through entrepreneurship. From the creation of an innovative solar energy project to its submission in the national competition and their eventual participation in the pan-Arab entrepreneurship competition in Qatar, the film explores the trials and tribulations the girls face along the way. Set against the backdrop of a country marked with weak economic policies, a struggling political infrastructure and a dangerous Al-Qaeda presence, Yemeniettes surveys issues of youth unemployment, underemployment, education, drug abuse and demographic pressures. It brings to the screen a part of the world that is often overlooked while maintaining a message of hope and triumph.