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By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 27 December:
Libya’s leading women’s NGOs met with GNC head Mohamed Magarief yesterday morning at the GNC office buildings . . .[restrict]to hand him a signed petition calling for the “affirmative action to ensure the inclusion of women in the Constitutional Drafting Committee” (sometimes referred to as ‘’the Committee of 60’’).
The meeting was attended by a member of The Voice of Libyan Women, the International Libyan Women’s NGO (ILWO), the Tripoli Women’s Union, the Together We Build it Movement, The Committee to Support Women in Decision-Making as well as others.
The Voice of Libyan Women reported to Libya Herald that following the handing-in of the petition ‘’an active discussion on whether election or appointment would be more beneficial in regards to the inclusion of women’’ in the Constitutional Drafting Committee followed.
GNC head Magarief in turn strongly stated that there is a need for more organization and cooperation between civil society as a whole and the GNC. He asked those attending the meeting for any input or ideas as to how to better achieve better communication between the GNC and the NGOs.
Magariaf also went on to give some recommendations to the civil society activists, the most pertinent of which was that he felt that there were too many NGOs working apart and that it would be better if they were to work closer together and be more representative. He also felt that much of the work done by NGOs had no follow through.
During the meeting, the GNC head was also formally invited to be the keynote speaker at “One Voice 2013: New Horizons” in January 2013. The Voice of Libyan Women reported that Magarief spoke highly of the conference saying that it would be an honor to speak to the 150 women and men working towards the greater inclusion of women at such an event.
The Voice of Libyan Women felt that Magariaf showed strong support for affirmative action to ensure women’s inclusion in the Constitutional Drafting Committee. He was happy to receive the petition and stated that it is” integral for the GNC to support the role of women, not only in the Constitutional Drafting Committee but in the overall achievement of a democratic and free Libya.”
For more on VLW activities and the “One Voice 2013: New Horizons” conference see: http://www.vlwlibya.org/resources/One%20Voice%202012%20Call%20for%20papers.pdf [/restrict]
