| inbluevt | Date: Sunday, 2013/07/21, 1:59 PM | Message # 1 | DMCA |
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“Because I said so” is a phrase familiar to children around the world. It translates into every language and ensures that children understand
that—no matter what they want, think, or believe—they are not getting
their way. Growing up, I remember that regardless of how much I
researched, how many facts I came up with, or how well I negotiated my
stance, my childhood was defined by this simple rule: my parents were
always right. There was only one exception to this rule—that their
decisions must always be in accordance with Islamic teachings. I, of
course used this exception to my advantage with my parents as I grew
older, as well as with the organization I founded, the Voice of Libyan Women.
Initially founded in August 2011, VLW focuses on the political, economic, and social empowerment of women. Since then, the organization completed
a national assessment focusing on women in security—the first and only of its kind in Libya—as well as conducted interviews with key stakeholders and organized our annual One Voice conference, which brings together the acting head of state, members of Parliament,
international ambassadors, and more than 150 local activists to address
women's role in the increasingly complex security situation in Libya.
In the course of holding national workshops and local seminars on women's roles in security, we realized we were asking the wrong
questions. We found that many women vehemently opposed the idea of other
women joining the police forces and in the Army—they said that females
simply weren't “strong enough” for the job, or asked, "How do you expect
her to guard the citizens of Libya if she cannot guard herself in her
own home?” This rhetoric was used to justify women’s lack of
participation in public life. So we began to focus more on the role of
violence, be it domestic violence, harassment, or public slander, which
makes women feel vulnerable in public or leadership roles.
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