A group of female civil activists and intellectuals has established a movement called “Women Are Coming,” which is preparing a draft of women’s basic rights to be included in the constitution, an appeal considered the bravest of its kind in Libya.

Libyan poet and Professor of Aesthetic Philosophy, Aisha al-Maghriby is a co-founder with other women from Morocco and Tunisia.

How would you define “Women Are Coming”?

A group of female civil activists and intellectuals has established a movement called “Women Are Coming,” which is preparing a draft of women’s basic rights to be included in the constitution, an appeal considered the bravest of its kind in Libya.

Libyan poet and Professor of Aesthetic Philosophy, Aisha al-Maghriby is a co-founder with other women from Morocco and Tunisia.

How would you define “Women Are Coming”?

The movement aims at laying the foundation for a feminist initiative of a new form of struggle, in order to include women’s rights in the constitution and laws. Centering its activity in the countries of North Africa, the movement is to have presence in other Arab countries at a later stage.

The movement works on three pillars: firstly, defending women’s rights and protecting them from violence and discrimination by enforcing international human rights agreements, since they are part and parcel of the overall human rights. We also aim at urging the state to endorse all these agreements and forming a lobby requesting the enforcement of these agreements.

The second pillar calls for the inclusion of women’s rights in the constitution and then developing a proper mechanism for translating constitutional texts and rights into efficient and enforced laws.

Educating women about their rights, protecting them and believing in them is the third pillar.  If these conditions are not met, all previous measures taken to protect women’s rights become meaningless. This could be achieved by changing school curricula that strengthen women slavery by locking them in cages of paying respect, thus denying them their rights and robbing their humanity.

We also aim at raising awareness of the equal treatment boys and girls should receive, and promoting civil activity concerned with women’s rights among girls.

Since defending women and protecting their rights have become the movement’s first priorities, does that mean that these rights are under the risk of political and social violation after the revolution? Or are they based on the rights violated by the former regime?

We look forward to realizing complete equality between males and females in terms of rights and duties. The gains of the Libyan women’s struggle should be maintained, though far away from our ambitions.

There are few good Libyan laws concerning women and many prejudiced laws, especially criminal laws, which are still enforcing discrimination against women.

Do you have any certain mechanism to call for commitment to human rights agreements?

We will call for giving the UN human rights agreements a supreme authority and abolishing all laws enforcing discrimination against women, and will exert pressure for that through submitting recommendations and requests to the government, awakening the people to support these issues, organizing protests, directing media, launching media campaigns, and actualizing the recommendations of the conferences to be held.

We are about to formulate a constitution of women’s rights to be submitted to the Sixty-member Committee as a preamble to the articles we request to be included in the Constitution. That constitution will be submitted to all concerned societies and bodies to sign it so that it becomes an actual tool of pressure.

Does the movement’s name “Women Are Coming” suggest that men have no role here?

On the contrary, since we are attempting at changing society, struggle could not be only feminine. Men who share our same beliefs and support our rights in complete equality, freedom and citizenship should be engaged. Complete equality is a human necessity we want to be enjoyed by both men and women. In fact, the movement includes men whether in Libya, Tunisia or Morocco.

Are you basing your advocacy on any international constitutions as examples?

Arab and world countries provide many examples. Morocco’s constitution states that women and men are completely equal and share the same rights and duties. However, to ensure certain rights it is not enough to include them in the constitution; rather, they should be established by laws effectively enforced. In addition, there should be an awareness of such laws as well as the rights they address, organize, protect and work by.

You have mentioned that the movement has a presence in both Tunisia and Morocco. How is that? And what is the regional extent of the movement?

The first move started in Morocco in March 2012 when I met Moroccan poet and struggler Leila Nsimi and she told me about a movement established in Morocco, called “Women Are Coming”. She suggested turning the initiative into a regional movement covering Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, and probably expanding to include other Arab countries when it becomes well-established.

Convinced of the idea, we started to discuss the theoretical aspect and the structure. We met poet Majida Zahri and Professor Jalila Emami from Tunisia and started to define the practical steps in coordination among Morocco, Tunisia and Libya. Having introduced the movement to these countries by forming groups carrying its name, we started contacting concerned and activist women as well as men supporting and concerned with this issue. Intensified efforts have recently been exerted in Tunisia to announce the Movement in each country individually, so as to be announced at the Arab Maghreb level in March 8, 2013.

Do you think society will accept or reject the movement?

Actually, I expect both. Certainly, there are men and women who believe in these principles and support them; however, I expect a hostile war to be waged by fossil and ignorant male and female minds standing against women’s rights.

During the establishment period, I met fascinating and great Libyan women really struggling for human and women’s rights, and was surprised by some men’s capacities, determination and passionately support of our cause. Therefore, I will not stop working in this field as long as Libya has these great potentials.

What obstacles impede the establishment of the movement?

Difficulties are countless and include material, technical and social ones. However, if we waited for them to be surpassed, nothing could be achieved. Only personal efforts are made and personal capacities are used. We lack a lot of things like a place to work and meet since we are still meeting in coffeehouses and restaurants.