Women's rights

As a result of the political conflict, the subsequent wars, and the armed conflicts that Libya has been facing continuously since 2011, cases of human rights’ violations of all kinds have become apparent and tangible. Issues such as threats, enforced disappearance, torture, and violations of rights are noticeably increasing. As a natural result of any conflict and instability, women are more vulnerable to violations, especially concerning their rights, whether it’s their right in political participation and civil life or their social rights. That is because of the arbitrariness of some laws related to personal status, criminal laws, discrimination, inequality in some articles of laws, social security, and/or the laws that regulate civil life in general as well as the growing phenomena of violence against them and the inequalities that women are exposed to.

Nevertheless, forming movements, campaigns, and civic initiatives by activists who took it upon themselves to defend human rights, women's rights in Libya and highlight them as fundamental issues that contribute to building the base for establishing the democracy that the society is seeking in Libya has become apparent. The belief and strength area behind these movements and initiatives is the realization of the importance of working to strengthen the concept of human rights and changing policies and laws that contradicts them, especially women's rights.

From this standpoint, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung – Libya, has worked to support programs and promote the concept of human rights in general and women's rights in particular, the foundation did so, through a group of partnerships with local organizations and institutions in Libya and/or through projects that the FES launched in a succession with a focus on the right of women to participate on the political, economic and human rights levels. For example, the FES supports women in defending their rights, documenting the violations they are exposed to, and working on eliminating these violations by working on the current social and political challenges in Libya and introducing the above-mentioned concepts into public discourse to raise awareness regarding the role of Women and their rights through supporting community awareness campaigns and/or creating a space for activists and feminists from all over Libya to exchange experiences, enhance their knowledge, and gain the skills that can help them perform their work more efficiently. Furthermore, by providing these spaces and supporting projects, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Libya seeks to contribute to improving social, political and economic conditions, reducing tensions resulting from political conflicts, and thus contributing to the peace building process and raising awareness regarding human and women’s rights both on the local and international levels.