IPTÎSAM AXFÎR

Benghazi- Libyan activists asked women if they feel safe in the workplaces and government institutions on social media. The question drew the attention of many female social media users and they shared their stories. One of the women wrote that she had been subjected to harassment by an employee of the Benina International Airport. “He wrote his mobile phone in my passport. Since it is an official document, my passport was canceled and now I have to apply for a new passport,” she wrote. This incident reveals what women are subjected to in the workplaces and government institutions in the country.

“Libyan women are not safe”

Hamida Saad Al-Barasi, a teacher, said, “Being a teacher always makes me feel insecure. During exams, I warn students not to cheat. After the exams, I find someone waiting for me from their families to frighten me. One day, we were attacked by some people.” Stating that Libyan women are subjected to harassment everywhere,  Hamida Saad Al-Barasi said that the lack of the law protecting women from violence and harassment causes unsafe environments for women.

“Don’t remain silent against harassment”

Suhair Al-Megrahi, a social affairs employee, said, “I always go to government institutions and banks as a part of my job. If a woman has a strong personality, she feels safe everywhere. So I feel safe wherever I go because I believe in myself. Women working in government institutions should not remain silent when they are subjected to harassment. They should tell men to stop harassing us because men never stop until we tell them to stop.”

Respect for women

Aziza Al-Busaifi, an employee at the Ministry of Social Affairs, also commented on the issue and said, “I hope that every man remembers his mother, sister and daughter when he sees a woman and does not have any bad thoughts of her. Men should respect women.”

Speaking about the effects of conflicts, sociologist Faiza Muhammad Jaber said, “Libya has suffered from wars and conflicts that cause us to lose our social security in some institutions or on the street and in some public spaces.”