Gender inequality is a persistent challenge in Libya, as highlighted in a UNDP report that reveals the ongoing existence of gender (in)equality worldwide. Women in Libya continue to face lower wages, bear a heavier burden of unpaid housework and childcare, and experience significant under-representation in civic and business leadership roles.
The country's ranking in the Global Gender Inequality Index (GII) has dropped from 56 in 2019 to 61 in 2021, indicating the pressing need for action to address the issue. While there have been some improvements in women's education, representation in parliament, and participation in the labour force, much more needs to be done to promote gender equality and empower women in Libya.
In particular, women's representation in the Libyan parliament remains low, with only 16 per cent of parliamentary seats held by women in 2019. However, there is a positive sign of progress in women's education, as the percentage of the population aged 25 and older with at least some secondary education was 70.5 per cent for women.
When it comes to labour force participation, the rate for women stands at 45.7 per cent. Although this marks a significant improvement compared to previous years, there is still a need to further promote women's access to decent work and equal pay in Libya.
For more information on gender inequality, refer to the UNDP report at https://feature.undp.org/gender-inequality-2023/.
UNDP Libya's Gender Strategy Goal
UNDP Libya is committed to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment across all political, economic, social, and cultural spheres. Our Gender Strategy Goal is to shift power relationships and address the underlying causes of gender inequality through mainstreaming gender equality and women's empowerment into all of our programs and projects.
We apply a gender-responsive approach in all our program/project cycles to contribute to gender mainstreaming, which is institutionalized into our policies, procedures, and programs. Our goal is to ensure that women and girls in Libya have equal access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making power.
We work closely with national partners to promote gender equality and women's empowerment, including supporting the implementation of the National Strategy for the Advancement of Women in Libya. We also collaborate with civil society organizations, women's groups, and local communities to ensure that the voices of women and girls are heard and their rights are respected.
GOVERNANCE AND RULE OF LAW
To achieve sustainable development in Libya, it is crucial to integrate gender equality into governance efforts. With this in mind, UNDP provides support for the organization of credible elections that involve the participation of women and youth. This will help ensure that the voices and perspectives of these groups are represented in decision-making processes, contributing to greater inclusivity and progress towards sustainable development goals. This will be achieved through:
- Building a body of evidence to identify and address the root causes of increased risks of excluding women and youth from state-building processes.
- Ensuring women’s representation in unified, elected, legitimate and functional government institutions to contribute to political stability and reconciliation.
- Enhancing the government’s capacity for gender-responsive, evidence-based planning and coordination.
- Support the security sector and increasing their capabilities to ensure gender equality. Strengthening the justice and human rights institutions, as well as legislative reforms to tackle inequalities, improve the protection of the most vulnerable, particularly women and girls, and hold accountable perpetrators of human rights violations.
LOCAL PEACEBUILDING AND RESILIENCE
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT
Libya's susceptibility to the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation makes it essential to take proactive measures to mitigate their potential consequences. Therefore, UNDP will adopt a holistic approach to water management that ensures sustainable, equitable, safe, and gender-sensitive access to water resources. By promoting these measures, UNDP can help create a resilient and sustainable future for Libya while addressing critical issues related to climate change and environmental degradation. This will be achieved through:
- Increasing gender-responsive resilience to the impacts of climate change, water scarcity and environmental degradation.
- Strengthening government and stakeholders’ capacities to design and implement gender-responsive policies, strategies and legal frameworks to address the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.
- Building the capacity of the state, civil society, and private sector to mitigate climate change and foster gender-responsive green growth and the transition to renewable energy.
UNDP Libya's Gender Strategy Goal
UNDP Libya is committed to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment across all political, economic, social, and cultural spheres. Our Gender Strategy Goal is to shift power relationships and address the underlying causes of gender inequality through mainstreaming gender equality and women's empowerment into all of our programs and projects.
We apply a gender-responsive approach in all our program/project cycles to contribute to gender mainstreaming, which is institutionalized into our policies, procedures, and programs. Our goal is to ensure that women and girls in Libya have equal access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making power.
We work closely with national partners to promote gender equality and women's empowerment, including supporting the implementation of the National Strategy for the Advancement of Women in Libya. We also collaborate with civil society organizations, women's groups, and local communities to ensure that the voices of women and girls are heard and their rights are respected.
GOVERNANCE AND RULE OF LAW
To achieve sustainable development in Libya, it is crucial to integrate gender equality into governance efforts. With this in mind, UNDP provides support for the organization of credible elections that involve the participation of women and youth. This will help ensure that the voices and perspectives of these groups are represented in decision-making processes, contributing to greater inclusivity and progress towards sustainable development goals. This will be achieved through:
- Building a body of evidence to identify and address the root causes of increased risks of excluding women and youth from state-building processes.
- Ensuring women’s representation in unified, elected, legitimate and functional government institutions to contribute to political stability and reconciliation.
- Enhancing the government’s capacity for gender-responsive, evidence-based planning and coordination.
- Support the security sector and increasing their capabilities to ensure gender equality. Strengthening the justice and human rights institutions, as well as legislative reforms to tackle inequalities, improve the protection of the most vulnerable, particularly women and girls, and hold accountable perpetrators of human rights violations.
LOCAL PEACEBUILDING AND RESILIENCE
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT
Libya's susceptibility to the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation makes it essential to take proactive measures to mitigate their potential consequences. Therefore, UNDP will adopt a holistic approach to water management that ensures sustainable, equitable, safe, and gender-sensitive access to water resources. By promoting these measures, UNDP can help create a resilient and sustainable future for Libya while addressing critical issues related to climate change and environmental degradation. This will be achieved through:
- Increasing gender-responsive resilience to the impacts of climate change, water scarcity and environmental degradation.
- Strengthening government and stakeholders’ capacities to design and implement gender-responsive policies, strategies and legal frameworks to address the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.
- Building the capacity of the state, civil society, and private sector to mitigate climate change and foster gender-responsive green growth and the transition to renewable energy.
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