Umar KhanTRIPOLI — More than 350 female candidates for the National Conference elections gathered in Tripoli, Monday, for an event to honor the role of women during the revolution. The event, entitled “My Voice for Her", was also attended by Prime Minister Abdurrahman El-Kib, NTC Deputy Chairman Salim Ganaiyen, UN envoy to Libya Ian Martin and Minister of Health Fatima Hamroush amongst others. More than 500 guests were present in total. As part of the occasion, a video compilation of numerous influential Libyan women from years gone by was played to thunderous applause from the audience. Speaking to a packed hall, the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) head, Nuri Abbar, emphasized the importance of women in nation building, highlighting the fact that 45 percent of registered voters in Libya are now female. Ian Martin also praised the role of Libyan women in society and congratulated them on the efforts they were making to contribute to Libya's democratic development. “It is inspiring to everybody how you are fighting to claim your rights", he said. Prime Minister Keib also paid a tribute to Libya's women for their instrumental role in the revolution. “Women and men should work together as a team to rebuild Libya", he said, adding that women must contribute to the future of Libya by playing their part in all fields including economics, education and politics. Gada El-Raied, a member of the NTC's politics and international relations committee, told the Libya Herald that “such events show the actual strength of Libyan women and people should respect the role Libyan women played in the revolution. She also said that the NTC created a committee in May to help support the women in politics and that it was the first committee of its kind in more than four decades. Gada was very optimistic that the participation of so many female candidates in these elections would greatly encourage women to pursue careers in politics in future. “Their participation will help to change Libya for good", she said. — www.libyaherald.com
