Voices raised on Women's Day in Tunisia
Women in Tunisia are celebrating national Women’s Day today to mark the 57th anniversary of the passage of what was bold new legislation for women’s rights, the Code of Personal Status. This law distinguished Tunisia from much of the rest of the Arab world as it set standards and rights for women on issues such as marriage, education, child custody and equal pay. But even with the long-standing code, many women in the country are encountering worrying barriers to living in a truly gender-equal society.
The day of celebration has also been used as a high-visibility day of protest. Last year thousands of women took to the streets to voice their opposition to a clause in a draft constitution that described women as being complementary to men. This year’s gatherings again allow voices to be heard – for or against policies of the current Ennahdha government.
The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD) has collaborated with organizations including Gender Concerns International to work for gender equality, civil liberty and democracy in Tunisia. The Gender Concerns Tunisia Gender Election Monitoring mission in October 2011 provided an opportunity to partner with ATFD in monitoring elections from a gender perspective. Observations from this mission were used to evaluate women’s interest in the electoral process, their participation in public affairs and the perception of their role in a society that seeks to be egalitarian and democratic.
The ATFD president, Ahlem Belhaj, recently spoke to the media about Women’s Day saying that although the Code of Personal status established recognition of women’s rights in legislation, these rights did not always translate into the real lives of women citizens of the country. Belhaj was reported to have said, “Women’s Day is a day to evaluate the status of women and their rights in the country. Today, women’s rights are endangered by a new discourse that is invading Tunisian society, that of religious extremism.”
Even though Women’s Day recognizes ideals of equal rights in the country, there has been some unease that the government will use the day to manipulate the image of its leadership and policies, similar to how governments have been said to have done in the past. The ruling Ennahdha party has received mounting recent criticism over its gender equality policies and has denied any plans to use the day as a political tool. An Ennahda member said that women have had historic influence in Tunisia and "should be celebrated for their value." The party has planned a rally today with the slogan, “Tunisia’s women, pillars of the democratic transition and national unity.”
Ahlem Belhaj indicated that the importance of Women’s Day relates directly to the current political situation in her country. ATFD has organized a demonstration march on this day that is said to “come at a critical time” as the organization has encouraged women to join in the demonstrations.
(Select article information from tunisia-live.net)