INITIATIVE: Libyan Women Alliance For Embedding Women's Rights in the Constitution

As part of the Libyan Women Forum (LWF) Political Mobilisation Initiative that was launched immediately following the GNC election results, a two-day gender related event including a round table discussion, on November 14, and a workshop titled “The Constitution that We Want” on November 15 were held in Tripoli.

Forty-two female and male political and human right activists, organisations representatives from the East, West, South of the country and from Tripoli, and GNC members attended the round table discussions. In addition, three International organisations concerned with gender issues representing NDI and IFES also attended as observers

Objectives of the Initiative

Advocate Libyan women rights going forward to ensure that such rights are embedded in the forthcoming constitution;

Identify work strategies to bring women together to form the different regions of Libya and to address women's concerns;

Promote solidarity and coalition building among women organisations and individuals, including civil societies and other alliances, involved in advocating women related issues.

At the end of the second day, the participants concluded to take the following course of action:

1. To reach out to women all over Libya to promote the concept of equality, discus and exchange views on women's rights, women's concerns and issues that lead to women engagements in the constitution making.

2. Form a women alliance to advocate for embedding Libyan women's rights within the forthcoming constitution

Having agreed that LWF shall be the focal point for the alliance, the participants chose eight people representing eight organisations from different geographical locations within Libya to form the steering committee. The floor also recommended the setting up of an Advisory Committee that will be endorsed in the first meeting of the Steering Committee

Since its inception in November 2011, the Libyan women forum (LWF) believes strongly that Women's political role is inevitable and that it will have an active role in the new Libya.

Critical and strategic activities have taken place during the last year on the Civic and Voters education, women's candidates training on how to deal with election and to design gender sensitive election campaign.