Members of the Libyan Women’s Caucus hold an online meeting with young women to capture perspectives and recommendations for the Structured Dialogue

TRIPOLI – In an online meeting on Monday 9 March, members of the Structured Dialogue’s (SD) Libyan Women’s Caucus met with around 30 young women from across the country to brief them on their work and hear their perspectives on key issues related to governance, economy, security, national reconciliation and human rights.
Supporting effective participation of women of all ages and person with disability in the SD, and ensuring that their concerns and views are represented and reflected in the outcome document, is a key part of the Caucus’s mission. The discussion focused on briefing the participants on themes being discussed across all four tracks in the SD and then listening to their contributions and recommendations.
“There should be a national declaration for human rights in order to ensure that human rights are embedded at all levels,” said one participant, opening the discussion. “All legislation should be inclusive of these freedoms and rights, and women’s rights must be part of it,” she added.
Participants raised concerns about the impact of economic issues on the population, citing that poverty and lack of financial means are major factors hindering women’s participation in public life. They encouraged the SD members of the economic track to be working with the Central Bank of Libya more closely to identify implementable solutions which would materially impact the daily lives of citizens. “Women’s political empowerment cannot be fully realized without genuine economic independence,” said one participant.
They also raised concerns around safety for those engaging in political discussions and elections. “Anyone who goes out and tries to speak up has actions taken against them,” said one participant. “This is despite our civil rights. How can people participate in elections or an electoral cycle if they are scared?”
Highlighting the importance of elections, participants agreed that a conducive environment for elections starts before elections day and includes ensuring the integrity of the voter registration process. They specifically recognised that women candidates needed further protection from intimidation and political pressuring during the electoral process.
“We need to cultivate a culture where loyalty is directed to the nation, not to a tribe or a region,” said one participant. She further emphasized the need to strengthen professional values within the security sector.
Many raised questions about how the women in the Dialogue were navigating sensitive discussions and how women’s role in peacebuilding and conflict resolution was seen by others. Members explained that the Caucus aims to encourage the full integration of women in the SD process and ensuring women’s concerns and priorities are reflected.
Caucus members highlighted that the Dialogue process wasn’t yet at a point where final outcomes could be presented to all. They emphasized that the SD would continue working until June, and that work was ongoing to develop implementable recommendations.
Through the inclusion of person with disabilities, youth and women, the SD has taken an “important step toward ensuring that the Dialogue reflects the full diversity of Libyan society,” said one participant, adding that such levels of representation should be maintained in future executive bodies.
The Structured Dialogue is a key component of the political roadmap announced in August by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Hanna Tetteh. It explores concrete recommendations to create conditions conducive to elections, while addressing urgent governance, economic, human rights and national reconciliation and security challenges to strengthen state institutions. By developing policy and legislative proposals that address longer-term drivers of conflict, the Structured Dialogue aims to build consensus around a shared national vision that help chart Libya’s path toward stability.
UNSMIL established the Women’s Caucus in partnership with UN Women and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Read more about the Structured Dialogue and the Libyan Women’s Caucus on the UNSMIL website.