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Libyan Opposition Marginalizes Women: Worse Off Than Under Gaddafi?

Since Libyan Dictator Moammar Gaddafi was forcibly removed from power by the Libyan opposition, aided by western powers, the world has waited for a democratic Libya to show its face.

Women were definitely a part of the opposition to Gaddafi and a part of the uprising against him. Libyan men, and the West used massive firepower, while women used their words and their feet to protest.

Now that Gaddafi has gone, Libyan women say things getting worse for women. The new regime is sidelining women, education has stopped, and men are taking power for themselves.

Electing Women In Libya

In Libya’s first free poll, more than 3,000 candidates ran for office, including more than 600 women, around 20%. 33 women were elected out of 200 members, around 17%.

In July, the US Department of State trumpeted about Libya Makes Progress in Building Democratic and Secure State

In September, members of Libya’s 200-strong national assembly elected the country’s new prime minister, Mustafa Abu Shagour, an optical engineer, trained in the USA.

Wafa Taher Bugaighis, a Libyan woman hosted by the US Department of State in December 2011, said at the time that more women were educated in Gaddafi’s Libya than men, mainly because men needed to go to work. It is known that Gaddafi did use at least some of the country’s wealth to educate Libyans, to provide healthcare and travel opportunities.

State Department Hosts Libyan Women

At the time she was hosted by the Department of State, Wafa Taher Bugaighis was head of the International department of the Libya’s National Transitional Council in Benghazi.

Video: Wafa Taher Bugaighis on Marginalization of Libyan women.

Wafa Taher Bugaighis – Libya from World Affairs Council on Vimeo.

After the elections, the General National Congress, as the Libyan governing body is called, had 200 members, voted in by 1.7 million voters, out of 2.8 million who registered to vote. 80 of the 200 members are associated with a party, and 120 are independents. In August, a vote by members, for a Chairman, elected Mohamed Yousef el-Magariaf, the leader of the National Front Party. He won with 113 votes over his main rival, Ali Zidan, an independent who received 85 votes.

Libya In A State Of Flux

Even though there is now a governing body, the government does not yet have control over the whole country. There is still fighting and shelling going on in a number of places. Today Reuters reports that Protesters break into grounds of Libya’s parliament. The protesters want the government to intervene in fighting in Bani Walid, formerly a Gaddafi stronghold, that is being shelled by militiamen from a rival town. The fighting has been going on for several days.

While the country is still in flux, awash with weapons, and small wars going on in several places, and with troublemakers so easily able to cause problems for the new government, it isn’t likely that women are going to command as much attention as they would like.

It is hard to tell whether women are better off or worse off, right now, than they were with Gaddafi in charge, and until things settle down, I doubt the picture will become more clear.

Alan Gray is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of NewsBlaze Daily News and other online newspapers. He prefers to edit, rather than write, but sometimes an issue rears it’s head and makes him start hammering away on the keyboard.

Content Expertise

Alan has been on the internet since it first started. He loves to use his expertise in content and digital marketing to help businesses grow, through managed content services. After living in the United States for 15 years, he is now in South Australia. To learn more about how Alan can help you with content marketing and managed content services, contact him by email.

Technical Expertise

Alan is also a techie. His father was a British soldier in the 4th Indian Division in WWII, with Sikhs and Gurkhas. He was a sergeant in signals and after that, he was a printer who typeset magazines and books on his linotype machine. Those skills were passed on to Alan and his brothers, who all worked for Telecom Australia, on more advanced signals (communications). After studying electronics, communications, and computing at college, and building and repairing all kinds of electronics, Alan switched to programming and team building and management.

He has a fascination with shooting video footage and video editing, so watch out if he points his Canon 7d in your direction.

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