Women's status

The special status enjoyed by Tunisian women is the result of a reformist tradition going far back as the 19th century. This tradition was consecrated, as early as 1956, with the adoption of the Code of Personal Status, a revolutionary legislation in the region. The code abolished polygamy and repudiation, and made divorce decisions the sole prerogative of the courts. Tunisian women were able to enjoy the benefits of a successful family planning program. They were also given the right to vote and be elected to public office, to education, to equal pay for equal work , etc ...

These gains have been further consolidated by measures taken by President Ben Ali to further guarantee equality of rights among citizens of both genders, and to ensure balanced relations among members of each family.

Since 1993, the principle of partnership and co-responsibility of the couple within the family was introduced.

Today, Tunisian women enjoy equal rights with men in principle and in practice. Indicators show that the schooling rate of six-year-old girls is the same as that of boys (99%). In secondary schools, the percentage of girls (52%) exceeds that of boys. The same holds true in higher education institutions where young women represent 55% of the students.

In professional life, women stand out with their growing presence in all economic sectors. They represent more than one-fourth of the total active population, and half of the teaching, medical and paramedical professions. More than 10,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, in the industrial, commercial and service sectors, are managed by women.

Tunisian women also hold a distinguished place in political life. Five cabinet members are women, and 11.5% of the seats in parliament are held by women. Within the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD - Ruling party), women account for 22% of the members of executive bodies. In municipal councils, more than 20% of the members are women, in accordance with the amended electoral law which guarantees for women a minimum of 20% of the seats in municipal councils. The same percentage is expected to apply to Parliament after the 2004 elections.

This policy of women's promotion has benefited society as a whole. It has allowed Tunisia to bring under control its demographic growth, and to keep it much below its economic growth. Without the implemented family planning program, Tunisia 's population, according to experts, would have topped the 15 million mark, instead of about 10 million today. Standing out in their work, women play a vital role in societal progress, and in offering children a better level of care and education.