by Rosie Alfatlawi

Libyan women’s rights campaigners have angrily taken to Twitter after the committee responsible for their country’s new constitution backtracked on a major issue.

While a previous draft of Libya’s long-awaited constitution had allowed women to pass on their nationality to their children, the latest version has removed that provision, sparking outrage online.

Previous Constitution draft allowed Libyan #women to grant their children Libyan citizenship. New draft controversially removed that. #Libya — Emad Badi (@iron_badi) April 28, 2017

However, activists are refusing to let the controversial change go unnoticed. Project Silphium, which aims to increase female participation and visibility, last week launched the hashtag “I (too) am Libyan” in order to demand citizenship for women on an equal basis to their male counterparts.

While not an issue when both parents are Libyan, the law as it stands impacts upon Libyan women married to foreign men, whose children cannot adopt their mother’s nationality.

#اني_ليبية I am Libyan and I have the right to marry whoever I choose, and the right to give the Libyan nationality to my children — Sara Mostafa (@SarahElhady) April 30, 2017

Many also feel the rule undermines women’s rights as citizens and humans.

#اني_ليبية In #Libya, your rights are determined purely on your physiological makeup. No to #gender discrimination in the new #constitution — Najah Dawaji (@NajahDawaji) April 29, 2017

we are not and will never be second class to any man. we deserve to be afforded the same rights & treatment regardless of gender #اني_ليبية — (@zaynebx) April 30, 2017

المرأة مجرد سلعة عبارة عن مواطن درجة تانية و للرجل حق الوصاية عليها في ظل مجتمعنا المحافظ #أني_ليبية #ثروة_وطنية pic.twitter.com/7cTrOpcbsp — Soror Alakari ⵙⵓⵙⵓ (@SororAlakari) April 30, 2017

A woman is merely a commodity, a second-class citizen, and a man has the right to guardianship over her in our conservative society.

I am a human, that is to say a person, not part of the “wealth of the nation”.

Libyan women are not alone in their struggle. Across the Arab world, women have for many years fought for the right to pass on their nationality to their offspring. In Lebanon and Jordan, generations of mothers have come up against patrilineal nationality laws which have forced countless children into statelessness.

Responding to the criticism, the President of Libya’s Constitutional Drafting Assembly (CDA) has insisted in a series of tweets that the constitution does enshrine women’s rights. Monam Alshareef claims that the constitution guarantees against gender-based discrimination, including in political, social and private spheres.

The committee will vote on the most recent draft constitution on May 7.

RA

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