Libya

Violence, instability, and gender-based discrimination constrain women’s economic and political opportunities. Libya’s legal framework also continues to discriminate against women in areas including marriage, divorce, nationality, and protection from violence. Even in cases where women receive specific legal or financial protections, such as a protected right to inherit property, they often go unimplemented in practice due to patriarchal norms. Civilians who speak out against repression—including women human rights defenders, activists, and political figures——risk abduction, harassment, and intimidation.

At the same time, women in Libya face overlapping economic, environmental, and governance pressures that may compound insecurity. Climate change and increasingly severe water scarcity and extreme weather events threaten livelihoods and essential infrastructure in a country already weakened by conflict and institutional fragmentation. Women and girls—particularly those with limited economic resources or living in conflict-affected and underserved areas—face heightened barriers to accessing services and participating in efforts to adapt and recover. These protection challenges also extend beyond Libyan citizens: migrant and refugee women and girls in Libya face acute risks of arbitrary detention, trafficking, sexual violence, and exploitation amid weak protection systems and limited accountability.

Despite these obstacles, Libyan women continue to be strong advocates for peace and play important—though underrecognized—roles in local mediation, peacebuilding, and conflict prevention. Political developments in August 2026 may create a potential opening after representatives of Libya’s rival political institutions signed a UN-facilitated agreement, committing to a roadmap for presidential and legislative elections within 24 months. The agreement could provide an opportunity to expand women’s representation and influence in Libya’s political transition, though barriers remain given the historical exclusion of women from high-level negotiations and decision-making.

Libya remains mired in a prolonged political impasse between rival administrations, with limited progress on key steps required to advance national election. Eight months after the launch of the UN-backed roadmap, political actors continue to disagree on electoral laws and institutional arrangements, delaying implementation. Prolonged political paralysis constrains inclusive governance and limits opportunities for women’s participation in formal decision-making processes. Women’s political participation has remained limited in past electoral cycles—despite quota provisions—with women holding roughly 16.5 percent of seats in existing representative bodies and facing persistent barriers including insecurity, party gatekeeping, and political violence.

Libya’s divided governance structure and fragmented security landscape—characterized by competing authorities, armed groups, and illicit economic networks—continue to weaken state institutions and impede coherent policy implementation. The persistence of parallel power structures and competition over resources, including oil revenues, fuels instability and limits state capacity to deliver services. Instability compounds gendered-risks for women and girls who already face gender-based violence (GBV) and economic precarity, limiting their mobility, access to services, and participation in public spaces.

Libya remains a major transit hub for migrants and refugees, hosting over 939,000 migrants. Additionally, Libya hosts more than 550,000 Sudanese refugees—over 60 percent of whom are women and children—who face heightened risks of exploitation, arbitrary detention, trafficking, abuse, and GBV. Widespread and systematic violations persist in detention settings, including torture and life-threatening conditions, often with limited access to protection or medical care. These abuses are embedded in entrenched trafficking networks involving both state and non-state actors, where violence is used to control and exploit vulnerable populations, namely women and female-headed households.

Significant gaps in Libya’s legal framework continue to undermine protection for women and girls, including the failure to criminalize domestic violence and marital rape and the persistence of discriminatory provisions that reduce penalties for “honour crimes” or allow perpetrators to evade accountability. These structural gaps reinforce impunity and heighten risks of gender-based violence,  underscoring the urgent need for credible oversight and protection mechanisms.

New research shows how prolonged drought, extreme heat, and erratic rainfall are compounding insecurity in the country—namely loss of livelihood and limited safe drinking water. Women are disproportionately affected by climate crises given their greater responsibility for household water, food, and energy management. Water scarcity further remains a tool of exploitation, repeatedly leveraged amid political fragmentation.

December 2025 and February 2026 municipal elections contributed to incremental gains in women’s political participation at the local level, with 21 seats reserved for women yet 30 women were elected to municipal councils across 12 municipalities. The election of Libya’s second woman mayor, Jamila Al-Lawati, signals further progress in advancing women’s representation in local governance. These outcomes create entry points for strengthening women’s leadership in service delivery and community-level decision-making, with potential spillover effects for broader political participation.

A UN-facilitated dialogue about Libya’s political process has created a more inclusive platform for political participation, with women comprising 35 percent of participants and actively contributing to discussions across governance, security, economic reform, and national reconciliation. The establishment of the Libyan Women’s Caucus—bringing together over 130 women from diverse backgrounds—has strengthened coordination, amplified shared priorities, and increased the likelihood that women’s perspectives are reflected in political outcomes. If sustained, these mechanisms could translate representation into more meaningful influence over Libya’s political transition and institutional reform processes.