Female customers say Libya peace method power-sharing deals risk go up in sectarianism
09 December, 2020
Women mixed up in Libyan peace method want a finish to power-sharing offers they say increase sectarianism in the united states and keep ladies out of decision building.
The US is leading the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which aims to agree a road map to elections by the end of 2021.
The 75 participants in the process, decided on by the UN after a few months of consultations with Libyans from coast to coast, must acknowledge a unified transitional federal government that will oversee the vote.
Included in this are 18 women who are human being and women's rights activists, lawyers, parliamentarians and feminine representatives of the Status Council.
The ousting of former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011 remaining a power vacuum that was filled by the Tripoli-based Federal government of National Accord (GNA) and Khalifa Haftar’s eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA).
Previous diplomatic efforts targeted at ending the war failed, meaning the most recent round has come farther than any other on forming a conclusion.
Libya’s warring factions signed a ceasefire deal the previous month that needed the withdrawal of most overseas forces from the country for at least three months, in addition to a prisoner exchange.
A few of the women mixed up in the process feel the process is focusing an excessive amount of on the forming of a transitional federal government rather than enough on the long term.
“The crisis in Libya is multidimensional, that’s why the united states requires a comprehensive approach," Zahra' Langhi, a women’s rights activist taking part in the dialogue, told The National.
"Yes you will need state-building but the proceedings with us isn't state building at all, it’s power sharing just like found in Iraq and Lebanon."
Some officials found in Iraq and Lebanon think that sectarianism has paralysed political, monetary and social progress found in both nations due to politicians desperately cling to power rather than working together.
Sectarian tensions on Iraq peaked following the fall of previous leader Saddam Hussein on 2003 where numerous politicians achieved little as a result of violence fond of the country's ethnic and religious minorities.
What Libyans need is a nation-building procedure that is associated with countrywide identity and not just political and civil rights but social and monetary rights, said Ms Langhi, co-founder of the Libyan Women’s System for Peace movement.
Libya’s countrywide charter must address the main factors behind the crisis, she said, and that it needs to form a national identity, address conflict-related sexual violence and violence against ladies.
“If they are not addressed in that case we aren't scratching the top - this is simply not sustainable peace,” she said.
Women’s role on Libya’s road map
The dialogue has so far established a road map that locks in 30 % female representation in the next government, Lamees BenSaad, an associate of the political dialogue, told The National.
“I see this as an excellent achievement. We will have an excellent position and stance within the next government,” she said.
Participants also discussed the opportunity that among the next primary minister’s deputies will be a female, she said, asserting that “this will happen”.
Ms BenSaad said the males at the negotiating desk are actually broadly supportive of including women in high-level positions.
“There’s been men up for grabs who have been advocating a big role for ladies to work in, they have even needed a female prime minister,” she said, something never discussed in earlier talks.
For the very first time, men on the table are “feeling heat”, Ms Langhi said.
“We have been pressing for this for quite a while, we aimed high to advise that someone from the presidential council should be a female,” she said.
But Ms Langhi said the proposed Cabinet positions are create like a “muhasasa system” whereby seats in authorities are divided between various ethno-sectarian teams around the country.
Women involved in the process are actually calling for a different approach, she said.
“They don't share power, they keep it within themselves and their inner circle, we have to have a shift of paradigm, to move from power sharing,” Ms Langhi said.
“We wish fresh faces predicated on technocrat criteria.”
Ms BenSaad said that from her previous experience the female customers of the dialogue experience not seen “such seriousness from the 75 participations” to find some option to the conflict.
“I want the united states to unite under one sovereign national authorities that will ensure that Libyans get their democratic rights,” she explained.
Both women hope that having a strong female participation in the dialogue will ensure a strong female presence in the next government and ministries.
"Women are not out to get an equal slice of the cake, they will be out to change the recipe," Ms Langi explained, adding that feminine participation will make peace talks and decision building less corrupt and even more transparent.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com
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