The Huthi rebels arrived without warning, heavily armed and in a furious mood, as they barged into Ophelia, the only cafe for women in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, and demanded it be shut down immediately. In recent months, restaurants where men and women mingle have been shut down, scissor-wielding militia have policed men’s hairstyles, and rebel forces have patrolled college campuses to enforce dress codes. Yemen’s long war has pitted the Huthis, who are backed by Iran and control large swathes of the north, against the internationally recognised government which has the support of a Saudi-led military coalition.
