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By Nadia El-Ahmar.
Tripoli, 11 March 2103:
The second International Women in Libya (IWiL) event took place Saturday, 9 March, at the Mahary . . .[restrict]Radisson Blu Hotel in Tripoli, attracting over 90 women from a number of countries. The event was also a celebration of International Women’s Day.
IWIL is a new local network for both expatriate and Libyan women who want to exchange ideas and socialise with other internationally-minded female professionals who live and work in Libya.
The event was generously hosted by the Mahary Radisson Blu in the hotel’s Marrakesh Lounge which was brightly decorated with flowers and balloons. Pink ribbon bookmarks were also distributed in celebration of International Women’s Day.
Yolanda Zaptia thanked everyone for coming to the event. “With 124 registered members of 21 different nationalities, I think we can truly say international in Libya”, Zaptia said.
The event brought together a diverse mix of Libyan and expatriate women working in Tripoli as doctors, accountants, dentists, businesswomen, lawyers, teachers and civil engineers.
“This event is the ideal way to get to know each other,” one woman said.
The first hour was a structured session with ‘Who do you inspire?’ being one of the questions to spark discussion, although the women were not short of things to say. One woman involved in a group discussion said that she believed she inspired all her children, except for her younger daughter who had announced she wanted to have children and be a housewife – unlike her mother who is ‘always out of the house’.
There was the chance to contribute ideas about the future of IWiL. Women were also asked if they would be interested in activities such as supporting breast cancer awareness, a group trip to Gharyan, an Indian cultural event and a monthly coffee morning on a Saturday as an added opportunity for women to meet.
Work, marriage, family life and driving in Libya were among the main topics of conversation. Everyone talked about their personal stories and what it was like being a woman living in Libya. Some had the view that once driving in Libya is grasped, gaining independence and being proactive in Libyan society was a lot easier. It was also agreed that the security situation was hindering women’s work and personal lives.
Iman Jazwi, who has only been living in Libya for six months, reminisced about her hometown London and how she would love for her family to come and live in Libya too. “I miss walking around London”, she said.
By the end, women enthusiastically promised to meet again with the exchange of business cards and mobile numbers.
IWiL was founded by Yolanda Zaptia, a director of Know Libya consultancy, and Adela Suliman from international law firm Clyde and Co.
It will hold monthly meetings and the next event is on Saturday 13 April.
To find out more, visit: www.facebook.com/IWILibya
Or email: [email protected]
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