“Libyan women face difficulties in participating in political life,” UNSMIL says.
Pulbished on:Tripoli 3 September 2024 (Lana) Representatives from the Fezzan Women’s Political Movement emphasized the crucial role women can and should play in the upcoming municipal elections.
This came in a meeting organized by UNSMIL’s Women Empowerment Section last week, and they highlighted their efforts in mobilizing and encouraging women to participate in political life at the community level.
The UNSMIL said on its website that according to the official statistics from the High National Elections Commission, 30% of registered voters in Libya for the upcoming 60 municipal council elections are women. Although the percentage of registered female voters in the southern municipalities is slightly higher than the national average by 6 points.
"Ensuring that there is a strong presence of women in the upcoming municipal elections and the political readiness of candidates for the electoral race are necessary goals for us to change the situation of Libya and develop our municipalities," said Rabab Shalgham, Head of the Fezzan Women's Political Movement (FWPM).
Raja Mahmoud, member of FWPM, added that their movement is primarily focusing on encouraging women's political participation in Libya in general and the Fezzan region in particular. "We came to the mission to discuss ways of cooperation with UNSMIL and emphasize the vital role of women in resolving the current Libyan crisis through meaningful participation of women in the political dialogue and upcoming elections,” she said.
According to Reem Falouh, UNSMIL's Women Empowerment Officer. “We are interested in listening to FWPM’s goals and plans as it helps inform our work.“
The FWPM was established in late 2023 by 20 Libyan women from the municipalities of Brak al-Shati, Sabha, Traghen, Murzuq, and Ghat. It aims to coordinate work on empowering Libyan women and equipping them for political life, especially in the southern region.
=Lana=