Women's Rights Unclear in Post-Gaddafi Libya

November 07, 2011 from VOA News

As Libya heads toward elections, there are concerns in the West that its new government could move towards conservative Islam and limit the rights of women. In Tripoli, VOA's Al Pessin found hearty debate about the future for women -- especially when it comes to husbands having multiple wives.

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Libya

Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west. With an area of almost 1.8 mill... Explore this topic

2011 Libyan Uprising

The Libyan civil war, also referred to as the Libyan revolution was a 2011 armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginnin... Explore this topic

Women's Rights

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Islam

Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God and by the teachings and normative example of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called ... Explore this topic

Women in Libya

-The traditional view of men and women- The social setting of the family significantly affects the circumstances of a wife. Until the discovery of petroleum, and to a lesser degree until the 1969 revolution, conservative attitudes and values about women dominated society. By t... Explore this topic

Mahmoud Jibril

Mahmoud Jibril el-Warfally, also transcribed Jabril or Jebril or Gebril, is a Libyan politician who served as the interim Prime Minister of Libya for seven and a half months during the Libyan civil war, chairing the executive board of the National Transitional Council from 5 M... Explore this topic

Sharia

Sharia is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia deals with many topics addressed by secular law, including crime, politics, and economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting. Though interpretations of sharia v... Explore this topic

Polygamy

Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners. When a man is married to more than one wife at a time, the relationship is called polygyny, and there is no marriage bond between the wives; and when a woman is married to more than one husband at a time, it is call... Explore this topic

Politics of Libya

The politics of Libya are currently in a phase of transition. As a result of the collapse of the Gaddafi government in August 2011 due to the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libya is under de facto administration of the National Transitional Council (NTC). The NTC pledged to organize d... Explore this topic

Voice of America

Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA provides a wide range of programming for b... Explore this topic

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Libya

2011 Libyan Uprising

Women's Rights

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