Tunisia: Women’s rights

While many congratulate Tunisia on its progress towards democracy, and being the only country that has laws protecting women, women in Tunisia are less enthusiastic. The extensive rights in gender equality in Tunisia are failing to achieve their full potential as many women remain unaware of their existence, especially in rural areas.

On woman journalist has commented that setting right gender injustices through legislation alone is not enough, pointing out that true women’s emancipation can be achieved only if awareness campaigns are intensified to include all women from all walks of life in both cities and rural areas.

“I’ve never believed that Tunisia is a leading country in terms of women’s rights, simply because I am a woman and I live in Tunisia,” she said. She noted that coping with life’s daily burdens is a struggle for the vast majority of Tunisian women, who remain unaware of such privileges and incapable of claiming their rights. Citing issues of poverty that sees elderly women working long hours to support the family, harassment that starts the moment a woman leaves home, women’s marginalisation in education (Around 23% of Tunisian young women do not graduate from high school, and many rely on men from an early age.), she calls for a wider action that includes women from all areas and spheres of life.

Pray for women in Tunisia, for relief for those burdened by the challenges of everyday life, for God to reveal himself to women, and for the Church in Tunisia to reach out to women.

Source of story: Al Jazeera