Vol. 1 No. 1 (2023)

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A Contemporary Review: Key Issues in African Women's Studies in Libya (2021–2026)

Mohamed Ben Khalifa, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al Bayda Fatima Al-Mansouri, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al Bayda Khadija El-Houni, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Libyan Academy for Postgraduate Studies Mrs Chelsea Smith, Libyan Academy for Postgraduate Studies
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18359550
Published: January 24, 2026

Abstract

This systematic review synthesises empirical research from 2011 to 2023 to analyse the critical issues confronting African women in Libya, a context defined by protracted conflict, political fragmentation, and migration crises. It addresses a significant gap: the persistent marginalisation of African women’s specific experiences within both Libyan national discourse and broader regional scholarship. Employing a transparent, replicable methodology, the review interrogates peer-reviewed literature, reports from relevant NGOs, and grey sources, applying strict inclusion criteria and thematic analysis. Synthesised findings coalesce around three interconnected themes: the gendered impacts of displacement and precarious migration on Sub-Saharan African women; their constrained agency and vulnerability within informal economies; and the intersectional discrimination faced by Black Libyan and migrant women. The analysis contends that integrating an African feminist perspective is essential to decolonise knowledge production and centre these women’s voices. This review’s significance lies in consolidating a nascent but vital evidence base, clarifying urgent empirical gaps, and advocating for a rigorous research agenda that foregrounds African women’s lived realities as central to understanding contemporary Libyan society and its transnational connections.

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Mohamed Ben Khalifa, Fatima Al-Mansouri, Khadija El-Houni, Mrs Chelsea Smith (2026). A Contemporary Review: Key Issues in African Women's Studies in Libya (2021–2026). African Journal of Women’s Studies, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2023), 4-15. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18359550
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Keywords

Libyan StudiesAfrican FeminismsPost-conflict SocietiesGender-based ViolenceDecolonial MethodologiesWomen's AgencyNorth Africa

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