Women and political dialogue in Libya: the challenges of participation on- and off-line

Microsoft Teams

In March 2021, the Lawyers for Justice in Libya launched a Report on Online Violence Against Women in Libya. It is the first research-based report concerning the phenomenon of OVAW in Libya, which draws on empirical data concerning Libyan women’s experiences of online abuse. The talk will draw on the findings of that research to discuss the contemporary challenges that Libyan women face in participating in public and political life, but especially so in the ongoing process of political dialogue in post-Arab Spring Libya.

Chair

Dr Lorena Lombardozzi, Senior Lecturer in Economics at The Open University

Speakers

Elham Saudi (Director, Lawyers for Justice in Libya)

Elham Saudi is the co-founder and Director of Lawyers for Justice in Libya. She is a solicitor with expertise in human rights and international humanitarian law. She has advised a number of Libyan, European and international bodies in relation to the Libyan conflict. Prior to founding LFJL, Elham practised commercial law at Slaughter and May from 2003 to 2010 for clients including Arsenal Football Club, Cadbury plc, the Reuters Foundation, and the World Bank. Elham holds a degree in Arabic and Modern Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford and an LLM in International Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. She is Visiting Professor at the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice and a former Associate Fellow in the International Law Programme at Chatham House.

Mohamed Elmessiry (Head of Research and Capacity Building, Lawyers for Justice in Libya)

Mohamed Elmessiry joined LFJL in June 2019 as Senior Legal Advisor. Mohamed is an experienced researcher and bar certified lawyer. He has over 14 years’ experience of working for leading international organisations and NGOs including Amnesty International and United Nations Agencies. The key thematic issues Mohamed has covered in his work are violations of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, labour rights, the rights of migrants and refugees, human rights in the context of counter terrorism measures, the death penalty and failures in the criminal justice system. He holds an LLM in International Law and Criminal Justice from Nottingham Law School and LLB from Alexandria University, Egypt.

Dr Olga Jurasz (Senior Lecturer in Law, OU Law School)

Dr Olga Jurasz is a senior lecturer in law at the Open University Law School. Her research focuses on international law, human rights, and legal responses to violence against women (including online violence) specialising in feminist perspectives on law in these areas. Her recent research explores a number of aspects of online, text-based abuse, including consideration of online abuse as an obstacle to women’s participatory rights.

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