Ibb, Yeman, March 28, 2012 – Mahliah Mohammed, 45 is a Women in Technology (WIT) participant from Ibb in Yareem province, Yemen. She is married with 7 kids (4 girls & 3 boys). Mahliah got married when she finished 6th grade. Her husband’s family didn’t allow her to finish school because they believe that education or work is not for women. They kept her in the house doing house work and they also started looking for husbands for her daughters so that they don’t continue their education.
Despite all these obstacles, she was determined to continue her education and after 17 years of her marriage, she started working in Khadija Society as a supervisor for the handicraft training section. She also enrolled in the Women in Technology program to study computers. She believes that computer training will allow her to supervise her children and to know what they are doing.
Two of her daughters have gotten married; she said the only thing that she asked their husbands was that they allow her girls to complete their education. Now both of her daughters have finished university, one has a degree in chemistry and the second one in medicine.
Her sons are also continuing their education; one of them is in the third year of engineering, the second one is in first year Business and the third one is still in high school.
She feels that she is successful in her life and is proud of her family; also she wants to start a blog to write about her story and let everyone know her struggle. Her father was the reason behind her determination to study and work.