Zawia, 19 January 2013:
The Voice of Libyan Women’s (VLW) Zawia Women’s Centre premises were the subject of vandalism on the night . . .[restrict]of 15 January.
VLW do not know who the perpetrators were or whether the event was intentional. They are seeking the assistance of the local council as well as local military officials to ensure that the issue is resolved.
VLW’s Women’s Centre in Zawia is a learning space specifically for women and girls of the community and provides free lessons in cooking, Quran, languages, and assisting women in their own “at home” businesses.
It is also used to encourage discussions related to current events and peace-building dialogue. The centre is used by over 10 local Civil Society Organizations for their weekly meetings, workshops and events at no cost. It is also home to a Children’s Sanctuary run by the local NGO “Mother’s of Martyrs”, and is utilized by over 300 local Zawian women.
“The Zawia Women’s Centre, supported in part by the Finnish Government, has been a place for support for mothers, wives and sisters of martyrs who lost their lives in support of our great 17 February revolution,” said Alaa Murabat VLW head. “It is also the only centre which exists out of a major city, and VLW are very thankful to the Zawia local council, military officials and community who have been endlessly supportive of this endeavour. VLW are also the organisers of International Purple Hijab Day.”
“The Voice of Libyan Women (VLW) was initially founded in August 2011 as a result of the 17 February Revolution which renewed not only our hope for equality in Libya, but also renewed the hope of the Libyan society as a whole in their basic human rights, including women’s rights. This hope quickly translated into action, which VLW believes is the best method for any concrete improvement with regards to women’s rights”, Murabat explained
“Although VLW has grown considerably since its founding, we remain a youth-led organisation and have a strong base in our hometown of Zawia. As a group of young Libyan women from different backgrounds, our ultimate goal is to advocate for an increased investment into one of Libya’s greatest resources which unfortunately has yet to receive the attention it deserves: women”, Murabat concluded.
For more information on the Women’s Centre, or any other VLW initiatives, please contact [email protected] or visit our website at www.vlwlibya.org.
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