Tunisia-Strategic Orientations 2016/2020: More Room for Women
18 August 2015
Read by 3214 persons
Among the main goals of the Ministry of Women, the Elderly, and Early Childhood are to help women become more financially independent and to encourage SMEs and female entrepreneurship throughout the country.
Women need to be more present and active in the country’s economy: “It’s unthinkable that Tunisian academics, who are far more numerous than men, can’t use their education and skills to take up more space in the country’s economic landscape. It doesn’t make sense; we will do everything in our power to provide women with the financial resources and training they need to become key players in building Tunisia’s economic future. That being said, it’s important to remember that financial independence will allow women to gain political influence and access decision-making positions,” declared Samira Maraï, Minister of Women, in an interview to be broadcast soon on WMC.
The ministry is determined to set the record straight and give Tunisian women, who have proven they can be guardians of a temple called Tunisia, the means to achieve their skills and ambitions.
Laws promoting equality between men and women are not applied on the ground
More than 6 years ago, when Faiza Kefi was President of the Court of Auditors, she stated that women in decision-making positions are there, but not very visible. “This is probably due to the nature of their work; a woman headed the National Council of the Financial Market; another led the Tunisian Internet Agency. The Ariana Technopôle, two major national banks, the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, the National Library, the National Archives, the Higher Institute of the Judiciary, many large hospitals in the capital or regional areas, and various specialized research centers, to name but a few institutions, are currently led by women. There are many examples…It is true that women often lack visibility and that for many decision-makers, the terms director, manager, and chief are still not conjugated in the feminine. Time and the will to change the order of things will eventually do their work.” At the time, Faiza Kefi did not suspect for a moment that the fall of the Ben Ali regime might happen, or that the new order of things after January 14 might threaten or even reverse the gains made by women.
This makes the task of the Minister of Women in the Essid government even more difficult. She must not only secure the achievements of women in our country but also consolidate them and perhaps even acquire new ones.
The gap between law and reality is enormous. Although the Tunisian legislature has granted women the same rights as their male counterparts in the workplace, they remain disadvantaged because they not only bear the family burden alone along with their professional responsibilities, but also, with equal or sometimes superior skills, when it comes to choosing a senior civil servant, it is the male who wins. Who knows why… Or rather, yes, misogyny is not a myth in the country of women’s rights; it is concrete, as evidenced by the place given to women in political parties. We have had vivid proof of this during the last parliamentary elections. Few women were chosen to lead electoral lists. Worse, these practices are quite common in so-called “progressive” and “democratic” parties.
We must shake up habits…
For the Minister of Women, it will be necessary to shake up habits, and political decisions must lead to greater progress in women’s rights: “Even if this risks encountering some cultural resistance. Remember Bourguiba, when he decided to promulgate the Code of Personal Status, he did not expect it to be accepted in all regions of the country or to be adopted without any opposition, yet it was done. We too must dare. A rather revealing example is the one prohibiting Tunisian women from traveling abroad without the permission of their father, or the impossibility for women to be guardians of their children’s bank accounts. This is unacceptable, especially since in countries like Morocco or Algeria, these laws do not exist, which shows that we still have a long way to go…”
Today, a whole program has been put in place to empower women in the regions, establishing a plan for the creation of 5,000 women-owned businesses throughout the country, especially in rural areas. Women can engage in many activities, including agriculture, crafts, services, and why not, industry. The ministry is determined to provide them with training, advantageous financial lines, and support until the project is effectively launched, ensuring that it is well on track.
The ministry has also established a plan to introduce a gender approach into all government policies, plans, and orientations in order to institutionalize it by applying it within all public administrations. Strengthening the presence of women in decision-making positions is now more than necessary; it is a right. Consolidating the socio-economic rights of women in rural and urban areas by putting in place mechanisms for a solidarity-based economy, combating the widespread illiteracy of young girls for years, especially in isolated regions, and enabling them to benefit from their rights to education, health, and work are now priority areas in the ministry’s 2016/2020 strategy.
For the minister, these are not empty words, but concrete actions that will be launched as soon as possible. As for funding and political support, they are acquired, assures Samira Maraï: “The Head of Government has assured me of his full support so that women’s skills can fill decision-making positions and that women in inland regions are given the means to become more economically independent. As for funding, I will give you just one example: following my appointment, I met with a delegation from the World Bank, which made a line of credit available to the ministry for women, and 40% of this line was not used. No, I don’t think we have funding or other problems; I think we need the political courage and boldness to shake up habits and resistance and give women the means to be more active in socio-economic development and the political transition in our country. We will ensure this, not just through words but through actions.”
Time will tell…
Amel Belhadj Ali.
Webmanagercenter.com
Published August 13, 2015.
Posted online August 18, 2015.
Women need to be more present and active in the country’s economy: “It’s unthinkable that Tunisian academics, who are far more numerous than men, can’t use their education and skills to take up more space in the country’s economic landscape. It doesn’t make sense; we will do everything in our power to provide women with the financial resources and training they need to become key players in building Tunisia’s economic future. That being said, it’s important to remember that financial independence will allow women to gain political influence and access decision-making positions,” declared Samira Maraï, Minister of Women, in an interview to be broadcast soon on WMC.
The ministry is determined to set the record straight and give Tunisian women, who have proven they can be guardians of a temple called Tunisia, the means to achieve their skills and ambitions.
Laws promoting equality between men and women are not applied on the ground
More than 6 years ago, when Faiza Kefi was President of the Court of Auditors, she stated that women in decision-making positions are there, but not very visible. “This is probably due to the nature of their work; a woman headed the National Council of the Financial Market; another led the Tunisian Internet Agency. The Ariana Technopôle, two major national banks, the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, the National Library, the National Archives, the Higher Institute of the Judiciary, many large hospitals in the capital or regional areas, and various specialized research centers, to name but a few institutions, are currently led by women. There are many examples…It is true that women often lack visibility and that for many decision-makers, the terms director, manager, and chief are still not conjugated in the feminine. Time and the will to change the order of things will eventually do their work.” At the time, Faiza Kefi did not suspect for a moment that the fall of the Ben Ali regime might happen, or that the new order of things after January 14 might threaten or even reverse the gains made by women.
This makes the task of the Minister of Women in the Essid government even more difficult. She must not only secure the achievements of women in our country but also consolidate them and perhaps even acquire new ones.
The gap between law and reality is enormous. Although the Tunisian legislature has granted women the same rights as their male counterparts in the workplace, they remain disadvantaged because they not only bear the family burden alone along with their professional responsibilities, but also, with equal or sometimes superior skills, when it comes to choosing a senior civil servant, it is the male who wins. Who knows why… Or rather, yes, misogyny is not a myth in the country of women’s rights; it is concrete, as evidenced by the place given to women in political parties. We have had vivid proof of this during the last parliamentary elections. Few women were chosen to lead electoral lists. Worse, these practices are quite common in so-called “progressive” and “democratic” parties.
We must shake up habits…
For the Minister of Women, it will be necessary to shake up habits, and political decisions must lead to greater progress in women’s rights: “Even if this risks encountering some cultural resistance. Remember Bourguiba, when he decided to promulgate the Code of Personal Status, he did not expect it to be accepted in all regions of the country or to be adopted without any opposition, yet it was done. We too must dare. A rather revealing example is the one prohibiting Tunisian women from traveling abroad without the permission of their father, or the impossibility for women to be guardians of their children’s bank accounts. This is unacceptable, especially since in countries like Morocco or Algeria, these laws do not exist, which shows that we still have a long way to go…”
Today, a whole program has been put in place to empower women in the regions, establishing a plan for the creation of 5,000 women-owned businesses throughout the country, especially in rural areas. Women can engage in many activities, including agriculture, crafts, services, and why not, industry. The ministry is determined to provide them with training, advantageous financial lines, and support until the project is effectively launched, ensuring that it is well on track.
The ministry has also established a plan to introduce a gender approach into all government policies, plans, and orientations in order to institutionalize it by applying it within all public administrations. Strengthening the presence of women in decision-making positions is now more than necessary; it is a right. Consolidating the socio-economic rights of women in rural and urban areas by putting in place mechanisms for a solidarity-based economy, combating the widespread illiteracy of young girls for years, especially in isolated regions, and enabling them to benefit from their rights to education, health, and work are now priority areas in the ministry’s 2016/2020 strategy.
For the minister, these are not empty words, but concrete actions that will be launched as soon as possible. As for funding and political support, they are acquired, assures Samira Maraï: “The Head of Government has assured me of his full support so that women’s skills can fill decision-making positions and that women in inland regions are given the means to become more economically independent. As for funding, I will give you just one example: following my appointment, I met with a delegation from the World Bank, which made a line of credit available to the ministry for women, and 40% of this line was not used. No, I don’t think we have funding or other problems; I think we need the political courage and boldness to shake up habits and resistance and give women the means to be more active in socio-economic development and the political transition in our country. We will ensure this, not just through words but through actions.”
Time will tell…
Amel Belhadj Ali.
Webmanagercenter.com
Published August 13, 2015.
Posted online August 18, 2015.
