The Libyan Revolution and Women’s Participation in Politics and Media

The recent political and social waves of change that have marked Libyan society since 2011, and the active engagement of Libyan women in it, provide a reason to study cultural changes that have a direct impact on Libyan society’s perception of social and political rights, in general, and gender roles, in particular. The role played by women in the Libyan revolution connected the event to women in the collective mind of Libyan society. Therefore, the success of the revolutionary action against Muammar Gaddafi helped empower the new political and social status of women in society. However, the chaos and disorder that followed the end of the revolution took away from women’s gains. The failure of the post-revolution era in Libya pulled away a lot of the confidence gained by women during the revolution regarding their chances to become full partners in the political process. This article examines women’s participation in the public sphere and most notably the way social and cultural factors affect their participation in politics and media.