A first-hand account of Women's Day in Tunisia

By Maissa Arfaoui 

Yesterday, thousands in Tunisia took to the the streets in order to celebrate women’s rights that were established within the Code of Personal Status in 1956.

Marches began from Beb Saadoun on the way to Bardo square,comprising more than 10,000 women and men demonstrators who voiced slogans like “the people want to bring down the regime!,” “Tunisian women are against reactionism and obscurantism!” ”Degage!”

Tunisian women from all walks of society participated in the march: young, old , covered, uncovered, black and white. They were all united by at least one purpose: to defend women’s rights and the gains of liberal Tunisia.

When they reached Bardo square, protestors assembled in masses around the platform at the heart of the square, enthusiastically yelling out the same slogans and applauding the protest’s leaders on stage.

Protest activities included stimulating poetry readings, revolutionary political speeches, and interventions from a number of civil society and human rights activists, especially from feminist leaders, followed by celebratory trilling voices and fire works .

In their appearance, widows of the two late Tunisians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi called for dissolving the constituent assembly and for dismissing the people in power, who they said they believe are responsible for the deaths of their husbands.

Two withdrawn representatives, Salma Bakar and Maya Jribi, from their part, emphasized that power is in the hands of the people, and that Tunisians are aware enough to resist any attempts to divide them and to undermine their voice and role in determining their destiny.

Despite the humanist and rightist dimension that Women’s day is supposed to be limited to, any observer can only affirm that yesterday’s protest was a political one.  Yet, different justifications can be given to this fact, especially the sensitive and challenging situation that the country is going through, and the battle that Tunisians seem to have  started fighting against extremist, obscurantist powers that threaten to target Tunisian woman’s gains and rights.