Tunisia, a pioneering country in the Arab world in promoting women’s status, has a wide range of legal resources for defending women’s rights. Article 21 of the Constitution of January 2014 stipulates that male and female citizens are equal before the law, without discrimination. According to article 46 of the Constitution, the State must take the necessary measures to eliminate violence against women. Women can be victims of multiple forms of violence, most of which are punished in the Tunisian legal system. The Tunisian Penal Code currently criminalises rape, forms of sexual aggression classified as indecent assaults and sexual harassment. However, if rape is criminalised, other forms of sexual, moral and economic violence are not when committed within the marriage.

In this factsheet, EuroMed Rigts provides a brief overview of the existing legal, judicial and political frameworks in Tunisia to fight violence against women. It also provides number of recommendations to the Tunisian government.