United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women have enhanced the resilience of local communities in Libya by providing services to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and those at risk.
A 2019 joint protection rapid needs assessment conducted in Tripoli found the general lack of safe places, privacy, insecurity and harassment as the major safety concerns for women and girls in the North African country.
It is understood that municipalities play a key role in social and political governance and in basic service provision. However, due to limited women representation and varying degree of capacities, the existing local governance systems are not well-equipped to provide social protection that adequately addresses GBV and respond to the needs of survivors.
With funding from the government of Catalonia and the municipality of Barcelona, UNFPA, it was gathered, has trained 396 individuals on GBV response and referral mechanisms along with GBV awareness.
The trainees from different municipalities included media workers, housewives, the youth, social workers, vulnerable women, schoolteachers, psychosocial workers, and women employees in governance structures.
‘This project is playing a crucial role in identifying women members of municipalities, reaching out and engaging with local communities and building their capacities to better respond to gender-based violence, raise awareness about such violations and provide hands-on information about referral mechanisms’, UNFPA Country Representative in Libya, Asr Toson, said in a statement.
As part of the project, UN Women is conducting capacity-building training for women members of the 20 municipal councils across Libya.
Additionally, UN Women has launched a social media campaign to raise awareness about violence against women in politics that continues to hinder women’s political participation, particularly in the light of the upcoming elections.
‘Ending all forms of violence that women in Libya are exposed to is not only essential for their well-being and that of their communities, but also for Libya’s peaceful and prosperous future’, UN Women Representative to Libya and Tunisia, Begoña Lasagabaster, said.
Sources: UNFPA, Global Protection Cluster
Photo source: UNFPA Libya
