In 2024, the spotlight remains on Libyan women and their pursuit of empowerment in the political and economic landscape. Between participating in elections and being honored at various events, Libyan women face a complex reality intertwined with violence and oppression.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) points to the great ambition that Libyan women possess and their desire to actively participate in building their country. However, their journey faces difficulties and political exploitation, despite the gains they have achieved.
Representative Rabia Abu Ras indicates that Libyan women aspire to be pioneers in all fields, but they face many political, economic, social, security, and legislative obstacles, These challenges, according to Abu Ras, make them stronger.
members of Fazzan Women’s Political Movement emphasized the importance of women’s role in the upcoming municipal elections and called for their strong participation in decision-making.
International Efforts to Support Libyan Women
The delegation of the European Union to Libya emphasized the pivotal role of women in Libyan society and called for intensified efforts to support their participation in all fields, to achieve progress and prosperity. It also expressed Europe’s commitment to supporting Libya in protecting women and girls from violence and urged the House of Representatives to adopt the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women.
For its part, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) called upon all Libyan women to share their views on how the United Nations can support them in the field of women’s rights. It expressed solidarity with Libyan women, appreciating their resilience and contribution to society, despite the enormous challenges they face.
It added that the electoral laws did not meet women’s aspirations for political participation, especially in the Senate, where only 6 seats out of 90 were allocated to women.
In a related context, the mission announced the formation of a technical committee of Libyan experts to identify the priorities for forming a coalition government that would end the political crisis. It stressed the importance of expanding political participation to include all components of Libyan society, including women and youth.
The Return of the “Public Order Police”
The Minister of Interior in the Libyan Government of National Unity, Imad Trabelsi’s statements sparked a wide wave of controversy and criticism in Libya.
Trabelsi announced that the public order police would be responsible for preventing “strange” hairstyles, monitoring young people’s clothes, and preventing mixed groups in public places.
He also stressed the need for women to wear “respectful” clothing in public places, called on the Ministry of Education to impose the hijab on female students, and banned women from traveling without a male companion. Trabelsi threatened to arrest anyone who violates these instructions, and even to storm homes if anyone is proven to be involved in acts “contrary to morals.” As he said.
Trabelsi added that “whoever is looking for personal freedom should go to Europe,” in a statement that many considered a restriction of individual rights and a setback for the gains made by Libyan women.
Statistics Reveal the Reality of Women in Libya
Statistics shed light on the challenges that Libyan women still face;
World Bank estimates in 2022 indicate that women’s participation in the workforce in Libya does not exceed 37% compared to 64% for men. The unemployment rate among women reaches 25.4%, which is higher than the national average of 19.3%.
On the political level, although statistics from the High National Elections Commission showed an increase in the rate of female voter registration in municipal elections in the southern regions by 36%, this increase does not hide the fact that women’s political participation is still limited, as the total number of registered voters across the country is 30%.
Libyan Women Take Confident Steps Towards Empowerment
In the face of multiple challenges, Libyan women continue to prove their presence and capabilities and are achieving remarkable successes in various fields.
Prominent Female Leaders:
* In a historic precedent in Libya, on December 30, 2024, Al-Zaira Al-Maqtouf won the elections for the position of Mayor of Zliten, becoming the first woman to hold this position in Libya, enhancing women’s participation in leadership positions.
The Elections Commission indicated in this regard that this event is considered an important and major shift in the journey of Libyan women and a culmination of the efforts of the Women’s Support Unit at the Commission.
* Five Libyan women specializing in various fields received the “Arab Woman Medal” Dr. Fawzia Ahmed Al-Hassan, Fathia Al-Toumi Kaim, Raja Khaled Hamad, Mufida Muhammad, and Suad Abu Jarid.
* Nabila Al-Tajouri was assigned to women’s affairs in the National Safety Authority.
* The young Libyan woman, Hanan Misbah, refused to surrender to disability and excelled in sculpting miniature clay figures that tell stories of Libyan heritage and revive memories of the past
* The Libyan Women’s Summit for 2024, in its first session in Tripoli under the slogan “The Renaissance of Education is Our Responsibility”, chose Dr. Ritaj bin Khalifa to be its representative.
* Dr. Rania Al-Khoja, CEO of Tripoli Eye Hospital, emerged as an icon of inspiring female leadership after organizing a successful campaign to perform 100 corneal surgeries.
Initiatives to Support Libyan Women’s Entrepreneurship
The efforts of several parties in Libya are combined to highlight the role of women in society and empower them through various programs and initiatives.
“She Leads”: It’s a program that aims to support women’s entrepreneurship in the cities of Tripoli and Sabha. The project is implemented by “Supernova” organization in cooperation with the National Rehabilitation and Reintegration Project, and the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), with support from the Dutch Embassy in Libya.
The program aims to train more than 80 widows in the field of entrepreneurship to facilitate their entry into the market.
“Ra’idat” (Female Leaders): The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in cooperation with the High National Elections Commission (HNEC)
and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya launched the second edition of the “Ra’idat” program.
35 trainees from all over Libya participated in the program, which included intensive training in the fields of leadership, teamwork, media campaign preparation, advocacy, and increasing political and social awareness.
The program aims to empower women to become leaders and decision-makers in their fields.
Ministry of Women Praises Achievements of Libyan Women:
The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Houria Tarmal, expressed her pride in the participation of Libyan women in international events, stressing their ability to lead and innovate, indicating that their participation contributes to building a positive image of Libya.