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Progressive, but more work needed

Gradient Ocean

Cindy Walbridge

Nov 4, 2022

Tunisia

Categories:

Women, Female Empowerment, Violence, Equality, Africa

This World Bank blog story first appeared a few years ago, in 2020. Tunisia, a north African country on the Mediterranean coast bordered by Algeria and Libya, has always been known as a progressive society regarding women's rights, particularly for a Middle Eastern, predominately Muslim country.


Shortly after Tunisia's independence from France, the country enacted the Code of Personal Status in 1956, a set of progressive laws giving women more rights. This progressive stance resulted in women's status having grown over the years. For example, it is common to have women in management careers in both the public and private sectors. The article states that Tunisia ranks 4th in gender equality in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Tunisian women have a literacy rate of 72%, account for 42% of higher education students, and hold 36% of parliamentary seats.


However, could these figures conceal a more nuanced reality and point out geographical and social disparity? A recent article by an 18-year-old, Farah Mkaouar, in the Assembly (a Malala Fund publication) entitled, "Tunisian women are stuck between freedom and inequality" (May 04, 2022), paints a different picture.


As a young woman in Tunisia, she has yet to witness the full enactment of the 1956 Personal Status Code. Many families only encourage their sons to study and get good, stable jobs. Men must be able to provide for their future family's needs. Still, they do not do the same for their daughters. They think men are responsible for managing all the family's finances and women should be kept in the dark. When the family is poor, daughters are supposed to sacrifice their education to help their parents deal with financial issues. They often work out of the house as maids and cleaners in unsafe circumstances.


According to one study conducted by the National Office for Family and Human Urbanization, more than half of Tunisian women have experienced sexual, psychological, and physical violence in the home or public spaces. The research institute, CREDIF, says between 2011 and 2015, 53.5% of women were victims of violence in public areas. "Though the parliament passed legislation in 2017 aimed at eliminating violence against women, failures in its implementation have let many assailants and perpetrators off the hook."


While the government has given women many rights since 1956, the traditional families in this country do not embrace more education and independence for Tunisian women. Unfortunately, little has changed over the years.


In the words of Farah Mikaouar:

"Let's change our lives for the better and act now. I invite social associations in Tunisia to organize campaigns to educate people about the importance of gender equality and the role it plays in building a stable society. I invite medical organizations to provide women and girls in Tunisia with concrete information about sexual health and consent — especially in schools — so that sexual assault and rape cases in Tunisia are reduced. I invite the Tunisian authorities to actually enforce the laws they've passed protecting girls' and women's right to live freely and safely.

No matter who you are and where you're from, you can make small changes that will have a lasting effect on the lives of Tunisia's women and girls. If you have an idea that might impact women's lives positively, believe in it, work hard on it and look for inspiring people around you. Find your community who will help you achieve your dreams. Use your voice on social media by sharing articles, videos and other content that matters to you. Stay committed to your cause and invest in it — it will be real one day."


Farah Mkaouar (she/her) is an 18-year-old Tunisian baccalaureate mathematics and physics student who is passionate about horseback riding. You can follow her on Instagram.


Photo by Breakreate on Unsplash.

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