Online Consultation from The Young Ladies of Together We Build It Perspective

Together we build it started project that aims to hear about peace and security from the Libyan women perspective. As part of this project we did an online consultation with the Libyan women to show a variety of different stories that actually happened to women from all over Libya regardless of age and background. Hundreds of stories were shared with us explaining number of security violations women go through every single day. It doesn’t stop there, the stories also show the society’s reaction towards those violations, which is significant factor.

We are now to read a conversation between three members of Together We Build It sharing with us their thoughts about the consultation. This time to look at it from the young ladies perspective who were behind making the online consultation works.

Rawan: The idea was built upon the image of expanding our reach for Libyan women everywhere, despite their region and time zone. In addition to that, I personally believe that the internet gives you some sort of security and comfort, to speak your mind freely.

Najah: Yes, I agree with you. we reached more women through the online quiz than we could have any other way. we might not be able to create immediate solutions to the problems facing women, but I truly believe talking about it and relating is a big step towards change.

Aisha: True! The stories we shared online are just a glimpse of HUNDREDS of stories women shared with together we build it through the online quiz.

Rawan: Yes TONS of those stories happening every minute in our society. And people are just unaware of those issues and they don’t know about them.

Aisha: Exactly! That is our hope of the quiz. We want the people to wake up and realize what’s exactly happening around them. I’m delighted to see that women answers on peace and security were actually responsive and are more aware of how important their role is in bringing peace.

Going in depth with the discussion the girls talk next about why people don’t react when they witness those actions? and what is their attitude when they hear of them?

Rawan: The problem is we are still in a conflict area, and people still carry weapons “casually” with them. Therefore, whenever anyone tries to stand up for something like harassment, they immediately get either injured or killed so people get scared.

Aisha: Nevertheless, we did get a valuable feedback from the society upon sharing the graphic stories.

Rawan: We have noticed that a lot of people are well aware of women violations inside this country. They also expressed how upsetting the situation is.

Najah: Although, we received many sarcastic replies and some even blamed women who were victims of those situations, I believe those pictures added another perspective to our viewers.

They continue evaluating the feedback they got and what they think of it! Also thinking of ways to encourage the people to take a stand.

Najah:  I think the amount of good reactions we got is pleasing considering the fact that it is a first. People started showing their displeasure, even if it’s just on the internet by saying “this is not okay and it shouldn’t have happened”

Rawan: Yes, I completely agree! The feedback was very helpful and it wasn’t from women only, but we’ve seen a lot of males commenting and defending women rights.

Aisha: Yeah it is. But in the same time, we need to think of this experience as a motivation to bring more attention to it. People need to know if there’s a problem affecting one person and specially women then it will result an impact on the whole one way or another.

Najah: Definitely! With awareness taken on so many levels, starting by acknowledging the challenges we face daily and thinking of it as it’s a problem concerning all of us not just individuals everything will get better. there will be no place for those violations if we all took a stand.

Excellent job ladies! That was an insightful conversation. It’s good to see things from different point of views and to get various opinions from people to see the matter in hand from a bigger lens.