Libya
Libya
Years after the deposition of dictator Moammar Gadhafi as part of the Arab Spring, Libya remains in a deteriorating security situation that is especially volatile for women. Sexual and gender-based violence during the war, including mass rape, has yet to be investigated, and women’s rights have continued to decline as different Islamic groups strive to curtail freedoms throughout the country. Violence against women remains common, but reporting remains low; like political and civic participation, reporting and activism by women remains deterred due to threats of violence or death.
Since 2011, Libya has passed new laws which discriminate against women, including the legalization of polygamy and quota reductions for women’s representation in Parliament. Although a party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Libya does not have a National Action Plan per resolution 1325 (2000).
Due to the high rates of discrimination, exclusion and violence faced by women in Libya, the NGOWG advocates for the Security Council to continue supporting the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to include women as full and equal partners in supporting the transition of power to the Government of National Accord, which has struggled to establish legitimacy and control. Without the inclusion of women, the new government will face greater challenges to creating sustainable peace in Libya and continue exposing Libyan women to extreme risk of violence.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Libya (September 2015)
The human rights and humanitarian situation in Libya continues to deteriorate, particularly for human rights defenders (HRDs), activists, journalists and politicians, whom have regularly been targeted as a result of their work. In this context, as it renews the mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the Council should:
- Strengthen efforts to support the work of HRDs and enhance the capacity of the legal system and security sector to ensure protective measures are developed and implemented;
- Ensure women’s full and equal participation in all political processes, national dialogue, constitution-drafting and reconstruction efforts. The government should also ensure that women’s role in DDR and SSR is promoted and capacity is built to recruit and expand female participation in the police force;
- Strengthen language supporting women’s participation in all efforts to respond to extremist violence and in the development of strategies to prevent further attacks;
- Recognize women and girls’ specific protection needs, and provide training for all security personnel to identify, respond to and protect individuals from gender-based threats and abuses;
- Urge accountability for ongoing crimes, and call on the Libyan authorities to protect all foreign nationals, regardless of immigration status, from violence, exploitation, threats and abuses, ensuring that all detainees are treated humanely, receive necessary medical treatment and are protected from torture and other violations, including SGBV; and
- Call on the Government to take legal measures to protect survivors of SGBV and prosecute perpetrators.
The human rights and humanitarian situation in Libya continues to deteriorate, particularly for human rights defenders (HRDs), activists, journalists and politicians, whom have regularly been targeted as a result of their work. In this context, as it renews the mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the Council should:
- Strengthen efforts to support the work of HRDs and enhance the capacity of the legal system and security sector to ensure protective measures are developed and implemented;
- Ensure women’s full and equal participation in all political processes, national dialogue, constitution-drafting and reconstruction efforts. The government should also ensure that women’s role in DDR and SSR is promoted and capacity is built to recruit and expand female participation in the police force;
- Strengthen language supporting women’s participation in all efforts to respond to extremist violence and in the development of strategies to prevent further attacks;
- Recognize women and girls’ specific protection needs, and provide training for all security personnel to identify, respond to and protect individuals from gender-based threats and abuses;
- Urge accountability for ongoing crimes, and call on the Libyan authorities to protect all foreign nationals, regardless of immigration status, from violence, exploitation, threats and abuses, ensuring that all detainees are treated humanely, receive necessary medical treatment and are protected from torture and other violations, including SGBV; and
- Call on the Government to take legal measures to protect survivors of SGBV and prosecute perpetrators.
Relevant Resources
