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No glass ceilings for women
Perhaps the most accurate yardstick with which to measure the development of a society is the status given to
women. Western visitors who arrive in the predominantly Muslim Tunisia are in for a big surprise. In today's Tunisia,
there is absolutely no distinction between the legal and professional rights of men and women. In many other areas,
such as custody of children, divorce settlements, entitlement to assets, child support, maternity leave and parental
responsibilities, Tunisia is far ahead of many Western countries.
Women make up 25% of the working population. The textile industry, which depends on skilled labour, is a large
employer. An increasing number of educated women are making a big impact in medicine, the legal profession, the
media and business.
Businesses headed by women range from small-scale enterprises to multi-million dollar industries. The National
Chamber of Women Heads of Enterprises has over 2,000 members but the chairperson of the organisation, Leila Khayatt,
estimates that there are at least 5,000 women business owners.
There is no doubt that the status of Tunisian women is unique in Africa and the Arab world. "The emancipation
of women in Tunisia began in 1956 when Habib Bourguiba, who was then the President, banned polygamy and insisted
on education for girls," says Professor Zakia Bouaziz, Director of CREDIF (Centre for Research, Documentation
and Information on Women). "But after the change of 1987, President Ben Ali moved swiftly to clear up the
ambiguities, implement directives and add other clauses to truly empower women and put them in such a position
economically and culturally that there can be no going back on the rights they acquired.
"As a result, the young women of today do not even think in terms of equality; they have taken it for granted.
What they now want is to use their potential to the full both for their own fulfilment and that of the nation.
We try and help them do this."
CREDIF was set up by a directive from the President to act as a link between the government and women at all
levels of society. It has now grown into a crucial research centre serving the whole of francophone Africa, the
Maghreb and the Gulf. International organisations such as UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCO, WHO and several NGOs work through
the organisation.
At the national level, CREDIF has been collecting a vast and invaluable data base on the situation of women
in Tunisia. Studies involve such diverse themes as concepts of women's rights, the impact of emigration on women
left behind, the scientific and literary output of women, the relationship of fertility and economic productivity
in rural areas, women in cinema and scores of other subjects.
Information comes in from field studies and through a national network. The data is processed, analysed and
then published in print form, on the internet and on CD-Rom. "Everything is done in-house," said Najet
Hassen who is in charge of documentation. "The research forms the basis of policy direction for the government
and is invaluable source material for NGOs, international agencies and other countries who are trying to emulate
what we have achieved here."
The centre also publishes its own quarterly journal which has a circulation of 3,000 but a readership in access
of 50,000. "We cover all issues involving women, employment, family, careers, opportunities and rights,"
says Sonia Zekri, a full-time journalist attached to the centre.
CREDIF also runs an international training department funded by UNFPA as part of a South-South cooperation scheme.
"Training sessions last for three weeks and 20 participants are invited for each session," says Faten
Aouadi, who runs the department. Invitees, all holding important positions in their own countries, come from French-speaking
African and Maghreb nations. "We show them how to put together policies, how to implement them and how to
monitor progress," she adds. UNFPA has designated the agency as a centre of excellence for the promotion of
women.
Tunisia is investing heavily in the education and development of women because the country's bold economic programme,
which should see it join the developed nations of the world in 10 years, will be impossible without the contribution
of active and vibrant Tunisian women. President Ben Ali sums it all up when he says: "Human rights cannot
thrive in a society where the status of women is inferior to that of men. Women's gains must be strengthened, their
potential fully tapped, otherwise we will have failed in our attempt to achieve overall effective change."
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