The association La ruche de la citoyenneté active à Tozeur [The hive of active citizenship in Tozeur] (Tunisia) works towards developing the oasis territories as regions that require specific treatments -especially in the face of climate change- while adopting a gender approach. Therefore, the association will conduct a field diagnosis while taking the following points into consideration: 

- The particularity of the oasis regions is the juxtaposition between the agricultural oases and the zones of urban habitat (the rate of urbanization of Tozeur is 79%, which explains why it is not classified as a rural area). As a result, people in these areas do not follow traditional social classifications (rural / urban) 

- The action for the benefit of oasis territories scarcely considers women. Their vulnerability in relation to their context and their environment is not taken into account. In addition, women are often more affected than men by climate change and could play a greater role in addressing this challenge. 

In this context, La ruche de la citoyenneté active à Tozeur will develop a diagnosis to examine the impact of climate change on the empowerment of oasis women. The main objectives of the diagnosis are to determine the perception and the needs of these women, to consult local actors on the gender approach and climate change, and to collect ideas to promote a regional development more aware of gender and resilient to climate change. 

Entities such as the municipality of Tozeur, the Tunisian Union of Alternative Media, the Oasis Research Center of Deguech, or the Tozeur’s Women Regional Commissariat will also be involved in this pilot action to mobilize actors of gender equality in the region. These entities will constitute the nucleus of the local cluster of actors of gender equality© constituted by La Ruche de la citoyenneté active. In this context, several data collection activities are planned between January and April 2018, such as an action launching workshop, several field visits, or interviews with women entrepreneurs of the sustainable women entrepreneurship center WES Tozeur. 

The association La ruche de la citoyenneté active à Tozeur was selected following a call for applications launched by the Foundation in 2017 to mobilize the actors of gender equality at a local level (3rd edition) in 2018. Their diagnosis on the impact of climate change on the empowerment of oasis women will be published in the documentary center of the platform and widely disseminated at a Euro-Mediterranean level. The action of la ruche de la citoyenneté active à Tozeur is part of the project "Strengthening the capacity of equality actors" funded by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and coordinated by the IEMed in synergy with the FFEM. 

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