ليبيا_UNDP Libya launches Baseline Study on Women

UNDP Libya launches Baseline Study 
on Women, Peace and Security in Libya
 

UNSMIL, Tunis, Tunisia, 20 May 2015: UNDP Libya launched a Comparative Summary of the Two-Phase Baseline Study on Women, Peace and Security. The report was launched on 18 May 2015 in Tunisia and is the first of its kind, presenting a comparative view on women’s and men’s perceptions on the issue of protection, prevention and participation of women in Libya, based on data collected in 2014 through key informant and focus group interviews.

The report provides analysis of local level power structures and presents challenges and opportunities to programming in the changing political context in Libya, which is expected to serve as a useful reference for development partners in Libya. The development of the two-phased baseline study is the foundation for the comparative summary report produced in close cooperation with UNSMIL.

During the launching event, UNDP Country Director Mr. Selva Ramachandran, stated that “women play an important role in contributing to nation building and development of any country, be it during times of difficulty or prosperity. They are prominent actors in this regard and their involvement, inclusion and contributions are very important”, Mr. Ramachandran added.

According to the study, women’s participation in the formal security sector is very limited due to cultural aversion towards including women in the traditionally male-dominated sphere of security and a specific social stigma towards women in the security sector.

The study is part of UNDP’s efforts to identify priority areas needing urgent attention in the current Libyan context. As a follow-up to this study, UNDP is in the process of formulating a programme on women’s empowerment and gender-based violence to keep a continuous focus on gender-related development work and provide support to programmes targeted at supporting the protection and empowerment of women in Libya.