Senior UN official stresses Libyan government's responsibility to protect women
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Hanna Tetteh, has emphasized the central responsibility of the Libyan state to provide comprehensive legal and civil protection for Libyan women throughout the country.
In response to a question about women's issues in Libya, in an interview part of which was published on Saturday on UNSMIL's official Facebook page, coinciding with the celebration of Libyan Women's Day, Ms. Tetteh stressed that the provision of this legal and civil protection represents a fundamental pillar in enabling Libyan women to fully realize their aspirations and unleash their potential.
The Special Representative explained that ‘ensuring the security and rights of women through a strong and fair legal and civil system would create an appropriate environment for their effective and influential participation in various aspects of Libya's comprehensive and sustainable development’.
She stressed that the empowerment of women was not only a fundamental human right, but also a crucial factor in achieving stability, prosperity and progress for Libyan society as a whole.
In this context, the UN official called on the relevant Libyan authorities to take practical and tangible steps to strengthen existing legislation and implement it effectively, as well as to enact new laws guaranteeing the protection of women against all forms of discrimination and violence, and to ensure their full equality of rights and opportunities in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres.
She also stressed the importance of concerted efforts by all stakeholders in Libya, including government institutions, civil society organizations and local leaders, to work together to raise awareness of the important role of women in society and to overcome the obstacles that prevent their full participation in shaping Libya's future.
Ms. Tetteh stressed the importance of ‘demonstrating that women's empowerment does not come at the expense of the values that society believes in but rather supports what makes society more cohesive’.
She said that the UN mission continues "to defend and support this cause", noting that work is underway on "a bill to prevent violence against women, drafted with the support of the UN mission and submitted to the House of Representatives".
The UN official expressed the hope that it would eventually be adopted, believing it to be an important tool for protecting women exposed to violence and abuse.
In her speech, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative reiterated the UN's continued commitment to supporting Libya's efforts to promote women's rights and empowerment, stressing that achieving gender equality is an absolute priority for the international organization and a prerequisite for achieving peace and sustainable development in the country.
On Saturday, Libyan women celebrated National Libyan Women's Day, which falls on 26 April each year. This was an opportunity to remember, in the midst of the difficult circumstances that Libya is experiencing, the conditions under which Libyan women are marching to obtain a number of their rights.
-0- PANA BY/JSG/BBA/RA 27April2025
