33 Countries of Origin’ Profiles

5 LIBYA There are no official legal restrictions on women’s access to public space and freedom of movement, but societal norms curtail women’s ability to move freely, especially in the evenings or in rural areas. Freedom of movement has been further restricted by the ongoing conflict 15 . GBV: Libyan legislation inadequately addresses domestic violence, and cases of domestic violence often go unreported for fear of social stigma or rejection by the husband/family . Despite it being under-reported, domestic violence is widespread in Libya, particularly in rural areas, where it is deemed acceptable for men to punish their wives or daughters. More generally, many Libyan men and women believe that in certain circumstances it is acceptable for a husband to beat his wife 16 . Honour crimes are common in Libya; women and girls who become pregnant after being raped are at risk of being murdered by their own families 17 . Although rape is criminalised, the law does not recognise marital rape. A convicted rapist can either marry the victim if they agree to it, or serve a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Ghaddafi forces used rape as a weapon of war , and in recent years, numerous abductions of women and girls, forced disappearances, sexual harassment and other have occurred 18 . There is no evidence or data indicating that female genital mutilation (FGM) is a general practice, although reports suggest that FGM may be practised among nomadic tribes in rural areas, and among migrant groups from Sub-Saharan Africa 19 . 1 5 http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Libya.html#ixzz4mQGpFYEG & http://www.commisceo - global.com/country-guides/libya-guide 1 6 https://mhpss.net/?get=315/asma-khalifa_libyan-women-in-conflict-uhgpw.pdf & https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/libya 17 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13760895 18 https://mhpss.net/?get=315/asma-khalifa_libyan-women-in-conflict-uhgpw.pdf & https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/libya 1 9 https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/libya & https://mhpss.net/?get=315 /asma- khalifa_libyan-women-in-conflict-uhgpw.pdf