Libyan Women's Rights

Today I listened to 25 Libyan women discuss women’s rights. There were some points that were non-negotiable. For example, there is no question that Sharia law will be the law of the government. We may debate this from the outside, but in this conference room, it was not debated by these women. 

The biggest consternation came on the topic of hijab – the head scarf and covering. Libya is certainly becoming more conservative. In many ways this is a reaction to the Gaddafi regime. Hijab was frowned upon if not sometimes forbidden. Therefore, several of the women linked hijab wearing to the revolution. They were now free to wear it!

Here are some of the comments:

“I don’t care if you wear hijab or not. It is your choice. I want to dress modest. But I will not wear the full covering some women wear.”

"It is clear in religion that we must wear hijab."

“Wearing Hijab is between me and Allah”

While I enjoyed the raucous debate, I didn’t feel I had a dog in this fight. For me, as long as someone isn’t telling me to wear it (ahem, Iran), I think women should be free to choose. I have nothing against women who choose to wear hijab.

However, I did drop my jaw at the suggestion that women support polygamy. Here’s the dilemma: polygamy is accepted in the Koran. Men can have four wives.

Judgy von judgenstein!

Ich don’t think so!

Shocking!

Furthermore, it turns out that the alarm I had been sounding from my last trip was misrepresented. I came back with the dramatic tale of the Prime Minister’s first official act. Despite all of the democracy building and security chaos, he passed a new law decreeing that men no longer need the permission of their wives to take another wife. Obviously, my Western, Judeo-Christian values reject that. But here’s where it gets complicated…

Apparently he did this because there was overwhelming support from men AND WOMEN. Indeed, an unmarried woman in Libya is dealt a pretty crappy hand. She cannot move around on her own or even open a bank account. In Libya, women need the permission of their husbands or fathers or, eek, brothers for many things. So my moral judgment is diluted by the reality for women here. Who am I to get on my high horse? I don’t have to face that reality!

The debates continue within Libya and between Libya and the region and Libya and the world about the rights of women. One thing I noticed though was that, although there may be some nuances about the exact rights to be included or excluded, there is a common conviction that women are equal to men and should be treated that way.

PS: Did you know that in Libya, men and women have equal pay?!!!