BBC News:也門女士咖啡館,女士不再戴頭巾

Now to Yemen where the government is strugglingto restore law and order since the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped aside in late2011 following mass protests. Besides being the base for al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula, thecountry is also grappling with attacks on security forces and northern rebellion andsecessionist in the south. Yemen is also considered one of the worst places in world to be awoman. Poverty and many cultural and religious norms have prevented Yemeni women fromhaving equal rights to men.

"We are inside girls' cafe. I'm going up the stairs. And it's nicely carpeted red carpet. And thisfeels like a completely different atmosphere. I can see dozens of women, some covering theirfaces, others are not. There are two women in the corner reading a book, studying, one withher hair showing. And they are laughing in the corner. Another lady is all dressed in black butyou can see her face and she is slouched on another couch in a different part of this cafe, againseeming very relaxed, speaking on the phone. Some of them are laughing in the corner. It'slunchtime now. And some of those ladies have brought their lunch with them. Look at a youngwho is sitting in front of a small laptop. And I'm approaching two women here sitting on a greensofa, chatting away. "

"Hello. How are you?"

"Fine."

"Sorry to disturb you on your lunch. What's your name?"

"Emina."

"Emina, we've just stepped in from a very very busy Sanaa street just outside. And here it's acompletely different atmosphere. Well, tell me a little bit about this cafe."

"This cafe is for women. Some women come here to open the Internet and sit with the others.Or friends come here to sit with us."

"It feels to me that when you are here and when the women are here,and if you don't mind mesaying, you are relaxed. Your faces are not covered. I can see your face. Your hair is notcovered. So it's a place where you feel a little bit relaxed and free to do what you want."

"Yes. I am here to this cafe because I feel happy when I come here."