ROME – The top six young women in the second cohort of the UN in Libya’s Ra’idat leadership training programme rounded out their training last week with a trip to Rome to learn about international peacebuilding.

The three-day trip, funded and supported by the Italian Government, aimed to expose participants to international examples of women’s leadership in peace and governance, exchange experiences with government officials, diplomats and peacebuilders and explore how similar approaches could be adapted to Libya’s context.

When announcing the winners of the Rome mission on the 12 August in the programme’s graduation ceremony, Ambassador Gianluca Alberini, together with SRSG Hanna Tetteh, underscored Italy’s commitment to supporting young Libyan women, including their active role in the political process. The tailor-made programme of the trip included visiting the Italian Senate, meeting with the Italian-Libyan Chamber of Commerce, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and its Development Cooperation Agency, LUISS University, and Italian organisations and NGOs active in Libya.

“I come from a humble background and didn’t have many opportunities, but this trip gave me strong motivation to learn and grow,” one of the Libyan participants said. “The visit was truly inspiring — it made me feel like I have a place in this world, and that my voice can be heard.”

The six women were chosen from a group of thirty-five, who completed the Ra’idat programme’s second year. The annual programme focuses on building skills in communications, teamwork, leadership and advocacy.  They were selected for their teamwork, leadership and personal development journeys, which they demonstrated throughout the programme.

“My trip to Italy was far more than just a fleeting experience, it sparked a flame of change within me and gave me a stronger push to take the first step toward making a difference and acting with confidence,” said one participant.

“This experience not only expanded the horizons of my thinking, but also made my dreams and ambitions bigger and clearer. Even after returning, I found that I was no longer the same. I began moving forward with purpose, taking steps to make a real impact,” said another participant.

Ra’idat is the UN in Libya’s flagship programme training young women from across the country. The programme takes 35 young women each year, and received 899 applications for the 2025-26 cohort which will begin training in late October.

The trip was generously supported by the Italian Government, which also contributed funding to the training programme throughout the year alongside the Federal Republic of Germany, Finland and the United Kingdom.