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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE July 12, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| March 14, 2005 |
Tripoli, Libya – With the Women of Tripoli |
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| Since gaining its independence, Libya has provided women with the opportunity to take an active role in many aspects of society. |
Muammar Al Qathafi wrote in The Green Book, his collection of philosophical writings, “it is an undisputed fact that both man and woman are human beings. It follows as a self-evident fact that woman and man are equal as human beings. Discrimination between man and woman is a flagrant act of oppression without any justification.” After learning about Libya through lectures and workshops presented by guest educators onboard, Peace Boat participants were eager to see how this philosophy is realized in Libyan society during their time in Tripoli, Libya’s capital. |
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| Students at the Women’s Military Police Academy in Tripoli demonstrate how to assemble and disassemble rifles. |
One of Peace Boat’s study tours in Tripoli focused on the situation of women in Libyan society. The programme’s first stop was the Women’s Military Police Academy, the only military academy in the Arab world that trains exclusively female officers. Participants spent several hours with students and teachers there, learning about their activities. At the academy, students spend three years training to become police officers who will be responsible for the security of the Libyan nation. This academy is one of the major projects of the Libyan government and works to ensure that women will be as involved as possible in protecting the safety of the country. During their time at the academy, students from around the country are trained in many areas, including an intensive course in computer science with lectures, labs, and practical assignments. After graduation, women are able to take an active role in police work, making a positive contribution to their society. |
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| Peace Boat participants enjoyed the warm hospitality of one of Tripoli’s Vocational Training Centers. |
Another of the Libyan government’s efforts to educate and involve women in society is its Women’s Vocational Training Centers, educational facilities that help women to learn the skills necessary to enter the workforce and to earn an independent income. Peace Boat participants were warmly welcomed to one of Tripoli’s Vocational Training Centers, where they were treated to presentations of the center’s work. The Vocational Training Center functions much like a university, with students entering immediately after high school and graduating after four years of classes. At the campus Peace Boat visited, students can choose from one of three specializations: computer science, interior design, or fashion design. Education at the center is available free of charge, as the Libyan government provides education through university to all qualifying students. |
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| A fourth year student works on her graduation project. |
While Peace Boat spent only one day Tripoli, it was enough to give participants the opportunity to learn more about the way women in Tripoli live and to counter some of the stereotypes they may have had of Libyan culture. “Libyan women seem to be fighting hard to break the stereotype that other nationalities may have about their status in society.” Lee Ann Kostelnik, an Australian teacher with Peace Boat’s onboard Global English Training Programme commented.
“I’m embarrassed to admit that I had a pretty negative image of the way women are treated in Libya,” one participant in her early 20’s remarked. “Because it is a Muslim country, I thought the women had to cover themselves all the time and stay at home; I didn’t know what we would see here. I was really surprised when I saw the police academy and the way the women were trained … they really expect a lot (from the students). Seeing (the women’s) activities has really changed my opinion of Libyan culture.” |
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