Movement of Libyan Women’s Leaders Meet in Tripoli to Chart Course

Posted on: April 28, 2012, by :

LWPP-LogoTripoli, LIBYA – The Libya Women’s Peace Platform (LWPP), a movement of over 50 Libyan women’s leaders from all walks of life and regions of the country and the Libyan diaspora will convene in Tripoli from November 26-28, 2011 to chart the course for increased women’s political participation and peace-building in the country.

The meeting will focus on strategic planning for women’s leadership, development of communication techniques, and mapping the way forward for women’s political participation in the new political landscape in Libya, including building political constituencies of support for women.

“As the next phase in Libya begins, learning from the experiences of Egypt and Tunisia, we need to have women be trained, prepared and ready to build strong constituencies so that when the time comes, we have strong candidates and constituencies who are prepared to lobby for them,” said Hibaaq Osman of Karama. “We need to initiate action, instead of just reacting as the situation unfolds.”

Participants will engage in leadership training, seminars in strategic communications and advanced training on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and 1820 to ensure women’s preparation for key decision making roles in the new Libya.

“We are honored to have so many strong women’s leaders joining our movement, and we must understand the nature and necessities of the transitional period we are in. These women are convening as the LWPP to create a multi-year strategic plan based on UN resolutions 1325 and 1820, rather than reacting to daily events,” said Zahra’ Langhi of the Libya Women’s Peace Platform. “This national movement will work with learn, share experiences and partner with other international movements working to include women in peace and reconciliation.”

The Libyan Women’s Peace Platform (LWPP) was launched in late October of 2011 in Cairo, Egypt. Organized by the regional Arab women’s NGO Karama, in partnership with members of the Platform for Peace, the second meeting of the LWPP will take the next step in linking Libyan women’s rights activists and setting strategies to ensure that women’s voices are represented in the transition and that women’s rights are protected throughout Libya’s peace-building process.