Women and youth vital to Libya's future: Pelosi

[EMCS]

Libya must invest in education and include youth and women on the road to democracy, US congressional minority leader Nancy Pelosi said on Saturday during a visit to Tripoli.

"Of special interest to us is the role that women and young people have played, are playing, and hopefully will play in the brilliant new democracy in Libya," Pelosi told journalists in the Libyan capital.

"Many of them were part of the fight for freedom and democracy. They must also be part of forming that democracy," she said after meeting with civil society advocates, including women and students.

The Democrat former speaker led a house delegation that met Libyan leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil and interim prime minister Abdel Rahim al-Kib.

She said she hoped that women would earn "more than 20 percent" of seats in the upcoming elections for a constituent assembly.

"You can't win unless you run," Pelosi said.

"It is not for the faint of heart and I encourage women, young women to support each other."

The delegation also urged Libya to invest in education.

"God has blessed Libya with the courage of her people, with the natural resources to have a wealth to educate those people and make a good life for them," Pelosi said.

Source: AFP – Sat, Mar 17, 2012

http://news.yahoo.com/women-youth-vital-libyas-future-pelosi-194838...