TAKE ACTION: Support Libyan Women!
01/10/2012
Join V-Day and make your voice heard through the Women4Libya online petition for greater representation of Libyan women in future governmental institutions. Women4Libya representative and activist Farah Abushwesha explains:
This has been a momentous year. Libya has proved to the world that the power of its people can topple regimes. We need to ensure that the spirit in which the revolution was waged is not lost. Now more than ever we need to unite and join all women networks together, so that we have a country that can inspire the world with a balanced government constituting fair proportions of youth, men, women, minorities deciding on issues that affect all across Libya. Please spend a little time sharing and signing this petition being circulated by Women4Libya, an initiative instigated by the LCSO (Libyan Civil Society Organisation) that focuses on bringing to light the voices of the Libyan Women and ensuring their inclusion in the reconciliation process and within the political, social and economical sectors of society. The lack of presence of Libyan women in the public domain remains one of the most challenging aspects facing the future of a new Libya. To exclude women in the national reconciliation and rebuilding process is to exclude a vital force in the reconstruction of a stable, representative and democratic Libya.
Libyan women are shocked that the proposed election laws give just a 10% quota for women in the 200-member assembly. The 8 Member Election Commission are all male. There is only a 14-day consultation period for the election rules. So we have a few days to get the numbers up. There was international support for UNSCR 1976 to liberate Libya. It was partly for a future of democracy, human rights and economic equality for all. Is it to be democracy, human rights and equality for half the population - men?
Please sign the petition by THIS Thursday, January 12th!