Awateef Abu Malyana. Source: Ahmed El Amraoui[/caption]When Awateef Abu Malyana told her family about her wish to become a journalist, their answer was an unequivocal “No.” Awateef’s case reflects the mentality of the majority in Libyan society with regard to the role of women in the media industry, and her determination represents that of a stream of the new generation, who are trying to break free from such constraints.
Libya is a conservative country. There exists a deep-seated cultural bias against the intermingling of men and women in public spaces. Most women in Libya cover up, wearing non-revealing long skirts, trousers, or dresses, and for them, the public space is rigidly defined. Areas such as streets, cafés, restaurants, mosques, and shops are a bustling man’s world.
“It didn’t matter that my family members were open-mined and well educated. None of these counted when it came to my choice to become a journalist,” Awateef, who is in her early twenties, told The Majalla. Awateef’s family is stereotypical of families in Libya where social traditions and customs still weigh heavily on females who struggle against all odds to overcome the social stigma attached to women working in media. “My family cited the social stigma [against] women working in media as a reason for rejecting my plans. The commonly held view is that we live in a very conservative society where traditions and customs do not allow women to go and work in the media," she went on to say.
Despite the challenges, Awateef proceeded with her ambition and set a model that would help challenge prejudices about females working in this field. According to her, the young women who—along with their male peers—succeeded in toppling the regime of Muammar Qadhafi, after forty-two years of oppression, are capable of translating the new spirit of free Libya and setting themselves free while preserving the country’s values, culture and traditions. “I know that deep down, my family doesn’t see anything wrong with me working in the media but want to spare me the negative social view currently held about women journalists,” she says. “According to my parents, journalists have to work until late in the night, something which women are not allowed to do in a conservative society. Most people deal with female journalists with too much skepticism and distrust, doubting their moral righteousness.”
Although the challenge for Awateef was huge, so was the gain. With a little bit of convincing and arguing, she finally managed to make things fall into place. She is now working as a journalist for a local newspaper in the capital, Tripoli. For Awateef, her objective would not have been reached without the spirit of the revolution and the great deal of change that Libya underwent as a result. Young people, who were held captive to silence for so long, are now breaking away from fear and social bias. They are speaking up against taboos, and are willing more than ever, to do what it takes to turn their dream of becoming a media professional into a reality. Female journalists are supported by the emergence of scores of news outlets in new Libya. These provide them with different platforms to campaign for their rights after decades of single-oriented, controlled, and heavily censored media.
“I ended up winning over my family but not without conditions. I was required not to use my real name for my article and not to publish my photos or work on evening shifts. I accepted these conditions, but only for a while. I used to write with Atuff as a pen name, but with time, I started to let go of my family’s conditions.” Awateef is delighted to have managed to change misconceptions about her work, but she still thinks that the road ahead to shedding social bias against female journalists is very long: “There is still too much work to do and too many challenges to meet before women in Libya can work in media without being looked down [upon]. But my case is one of many open debates and discussions, in which Libyans are intensively engaged to frame the new free Libya through a credibility-building action that should take into consideration the country’s aspiration and sensitivities based on trust, openness, and tolerance.”
