Ruaa Center Launches “Voice of the Coast” Campaign to Strengthen Women’s Leadership in Coastal Environmental Protection in Aden

Ruaa Center for Strategic Studies, Consultancy and Training launched today, Thursday, the “Voice of the Coast” campaign to raise awareness and advocate for the protection of coastal and marine environments and the reduction of plastic pollution. The campaign is being implemented as part of the “Coastal Women Leaders” project, with support from the Urgent Action Fund (UAF) and in coordination with the General Authority for Environmental Protection.

The campaign aims to strengthen the role of women as active environmental advocates and defenders, empowering them to lead community initiatives that contribute to protecting coastal areas and marine resources. It also seeks to raise awareness of the environmental risks facing coastal communities, including the growing impact of plastic waste on marine life and sea turtles.

As part of the campaign launch, a field activity was organized to clean the beach in the Omran area of Aden, with the participation of women environmental advocates. The participants collected and removed plastic and solid waste from the beach, marking a shift from awareness-raising to concrete community action and advocacy for environmental change.

Dr. Jaklin Al-Batani, Head of the Ruaa Center, emphasized that the “Voice of the Coast” campaign is not limited to temporary environmental activities. Rather, it seeks to build a meaningful and active role for women in environmental and climate issues, strengthen their capacity for awareness-raising and advocacy, and enhance their ability to influence their communities and contribute to the development of more sustainable local solutions.

Al-Batani noted that women environmental advocates serve as an important link between environmental issues and the needs of local communities. She explained that empowering women to lead environmental initiatives helps transform them from recipients of programs into agents of change and advocates for the environment of their communities and the rights of future generations.

She added that the campaign focuses on encouraging communities to adopt more environmentally responsible behaviors, promoting environmentally friendly alternatives, reducing the use of plastic, and strengthening community participation in protecting coastal areas and marine species, particularly sea turtles.

As part of the “Voice of the Coast” campaign, women environmental advocates will continue implementing awareness-raising activities, community initiatives, and advocacy actions targeting different segments of society. These efforts aim to promote responsible environmental behavior and amplify the community’s voice on the challenges threatening coastal and marine ecosystems.

The campaign emphasizes that protecting the coast is not the responsibility of official authorities alone. It is a shared community issue that requires the meaningful participation of women, youth, and local communities, as well as turning environmental awareness into sustained collective action.