Being a Women in Yemen

Being a woman in the Middle East is no cup of tea. I admire women here for many reasons. If you've ever seen a Middle Eastern toilet, you too would have instant admiration. Women in Yemen are strong, enduring and sacrifice most of themselves for the sake of their families. They are also seen as second class citizens and treated as such.
Shortly after arriving in Yemen, where the grand majority of native women are veiled, I was disturbed to realize that when women would pass me in the streets, I would only make eye contact and smile at the few without the veil. It was completely unintentional and even though many veiled women still reveal their eyes, I simply didn't see them. Since then, I've made an effort to acknowledge all women, veil or no veil, and to remember that there is a person under all the cover. Still, I have to wonder how it must feel and what the long term effects may be for women, at least while in public, to have a total lack of identity.
To say women aren't seen here isn't completely true. Those fully covered and veiled still get cat calls from men, however, there's no comparison between the harassment native women contend with to that of western women when it comes to male attention in the streets.
The attention from men that I've received in any Arab country has always been frequent and made me uncomfortable and agitated, but the magnitude of that attention has been most significant in Yemen. However, only recently has this phenomenon begun to affect my mood and the way I perceive men here.
Let me expand to give you a better understanding of what I experience every day when I walk outside.
First, you have the stares which is aidi (normal), these come from everyone, men, women and children and aren't so much a big deal. Especially with women and children, I know the looks come from a more genuine curiosity and interest, at least most of the time, and while the stares from men may also originate from the same place, 90% of the time accompanied with it is the hope of some kind of sexual exploit. It would be wrong to say that all the men here are like that as I have met some wonderful men who have gone out of their way for me without expecting anything in return and I have acquired some very trustworthy male Yemeni friends. However, when 90% of the male community that I encounter when walking outside acts in the opposite manner, its difficult not to become resentful.
With the looks come vocalizations, "I love you," "hello hello hello," "how are you?" Understand that no one here speaks English so men will say whatever they know multiple times while trying to approach you in hopes of getting your attention so that you will interact with them. I've had cars intentionally cut me off, motorbikes circle me, traffic will literally stop when I pass by and if I'm riding in a taxi, men will stop their cars next to me and try to make conversation or sing through the window. I'm often propositioned in the streets, public transportation and anywhere else I might go. For those who don't know, western women are not only seen as exotic, but easy. The worst is when I'm in a busy, crowded, market and men try to touch what they can by making it seem like an accident. Unfortunately, this works because as soon as you realize what happened the person has vanished.
These experiences are disrespectful and insulting and these days, both myself and my friend Kim tend to not go for long excursions unless we're together. Male gestures tend to be fewer when in bigger groups and its nice to have someone else there to contend with these things for emotional support, if you will. Its interesting, but most of the girls here that I consider friends have been in Yemen for a significant amount of time and have lived in other Middle Eastern countries, but the "western woman factor" as I'll call it, seems only now to really be getting to us, and all simultaneously despite the various durations of time we've spent abroad.
My friend Sam, who works in marketing here, gets the unique experience of having the male businessmen she contacts for her job call her personal phone at all hours of the night. On a less unique note, we've all gotten calls from wrong numbers by men who realized they called a foreign women and proceeded to call continuously thereafter.
Some people might tell me that if its such a big deal I should start wearing a nicab. To that I would respond that men can tell when a foreign woman wears a nicab. I myself can't figure it out completely, other than perhaps the subtle differences in body language, tread and posture between Yemeni and Western women aren't really all that subtle. Also, I am not Yemeni nor am I Muslim. I can respect the culture here by wearing conservative and loose clothing while not feeling forced to make a decision that isn't my own. In a way, I feel doing otherwise actually projects disrespect, although there are times (due to the safety factor) wear I will dress in this manner.
I've tried to understand the cultural mindset around this behavior, I've analyzed and sympathized, and now I just find myself fighting resentment and constant skepticism of the men here. I try to focus on the positive male relationships I've made and realize that this phenomenon only seems to happen in the streets, not in all settings, but some days, I think its just better to stay indoors.