ÎPTÎSAM AXFÎR

Benghazi- 560 candidates out of 4,326 candidates registered for Libyan parliamentary elections, to be held on December 24, are women, according to the High National Elections Commission (HNEC). Despite the awareness-raising campaigns calling on women to register for the elections, their number is less than expected. In Libya, women comprise almost half of the share of registered voters, one million and 50 thousand female voters, and one and a half million male voters. Halima Kallal, a human rights activist in Libya, said that the number of women candidates is low.

“The number of female candidates is less than expected”

“The number of female candidates is less than expected. Because women had great enthusiasm during the registration process. Women’s organizations and activists organized many awareness-raising seminars and launched awareness-raising campaigns to increase women’s participation in the elections. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of women, the number of female candidates is less than we expected.  The number of female candidates is now 560 and this number is very low,” Halima Kallal told us.

“Women get 16 percent quota”

Stating that women can run for the elections more powerful in big cities such as Tripoli and Benghazi, Halima Kallal said, “The quota system is preferred in these cities. 16 percent of seats in parliament are reserved for women. This means 33 of 200 seats are reserved for women. When we consider the works we have carried out in a year, we can have more seats. Since women have proven their power, society wants them to run for the elections.”

Halima Kallal expects the number of women candidates to increase in the next elections. “33 out of 200 seats are reserved for women and this number is an unfair and very low number. Women have only six out of 60 seats in the constitutional assembly.”