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 (January 2016)
The security situation in Libya continues to deteriorate, with human rights defenders (HRDs), women civil society leaders, activists, journalists and politicians, regularly targeted by violence. The country is also on the verge of economic collapse and social services continue to degrade. As it considers the report of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the Council should:
- Urge accountability for ongoing crimes against women, including SGBV, and recognize women and girls’ specific protection needs by providing training for all security personnel to identify, respond to and protect individuals from gender-based threats and abuses;
- Call on the Libyan authorities to strengthen support for the work of HRDs and women civil society leaders in the political crisis and enhance the capacity of legal and security sectors to develop and implement protective measures;
- Support women’s participation in efforts to respond to violence and develop strategies to prevent further attacks; and
- Ensure women’s full and equal participation in all political processes; national dialogue; constitution-drafting; reconstruction; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR); and security sector reform (SSR) efforts.
The security situation in Libya continues to deteriorate, with human rights defenders (HRDs), women civil society leaders, activists, journalists and politicians, regularly targeted by violence. The country is also on the verge of economic collapse and social services continue to degrade. As it considers the report of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the Council should:
- Urge accountability for ongoing crimes against women, including SGBV, and recognize women and girls’ specific protection needs by providing training for all security personnel to identify, respond to and protect individuals from gender-based threats and abuses;
- Call on the Libyan authorities to strengthen support for the work of HRDs and women civil society leaders in the political crisis and enhance the capacity of legal and security sectors to develop and implement protective measures;
- Support women’s participation in efforts to respond to violence and develop strategies to prevent further attacks; and
- Ensure women’s full and equal participation in all political processes; national dialogue; constitution-drafting; reconstruction; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR); and security sector reform (SSR) efforts.
Relevant Resources
