Women’s participation in political and public life is one of the most concrete signs of their emancipation. In Tunisia, despite women’s expectations, their presence in decision-making positions remains low because of many factors such as poverty, marginalization and unemployment. Therefore, the association Chemin de la Dignité – ACD (Dignity’s Path) chose to identify the issues and challenges which limit women’s presence in political and public life by focusing on Douar Hicher delegation.

In order to collect data about this subject, since February 2017, the ACD gathers the main stakeholders of the region: Douar Hicher’s delegation, the Centre de défense et d’intégration sociale – CDIS (Centre for the defence and social integration), press and media, academics and research centers, partner associations, and trade unions such as the Tunisian General Labour Union. 

A preliminary diagnosis will be developed as a result of the consultations among all stakeholders. Then, a workshop-conference will be organized in the presence of all the equality actors already mobilized in order to validate the outcomes of the diagnosis and to provide some recommendations for a better participation of women in public life. These recommendations will constitute the basis of a field project which will be implemented later.

The ACD has been selected following a call for proposals promoted by the Foundation in 2016, to coordinate a local cluster of actors of equality between women and men© in 2017.  Its diagnosis about the obstacles to be addressed to promote women’s participation as a result of the engagement of Douar Hicher’s stakeholders will be published in the Documentation Center of the platform and will be widely disseminated across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The ACD action corresponds to the pilot mobilization actions for 2016 (Cycle 2). It is framed within the Axis 1 “Strengthening the capacities of actors working for gender equality” of the project "Women of the Future in the Mediterranean" funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (MAEDI).

For more information about local clusters of gender equality actors set up by the Foundation, click here.