Supporting Women rights in Tunisia

On 29 September 2018, lawyer and human rights expert Omar Fassatoui, participant of the Policy Advice and Strategy Development Program of the C·A·P together with UTIL, the Faculty of Juridical, Political and Social Sciences and the Arab Institute for Human Rights, organized a workshop on women rights and protection, focusing on the needs of refuges for women initiatives in Tunisia. 23 representatives of the associations that manage the centres in Gafsa, Jendouba, Kairouan, Zarzis, Tunis, Sfax and Sidi Thabet as well as a representative of Amnesty International Tunisia were gathered in Hammamet.  A representative of the Ministry of Justice, the President of the National Authority to Combat Human Trafficking, a representative of the Spanish Cooperation who works particularly on the fight against violence against women joined as well as a representative of the United Nations Population Fund and, via video conference, the President of the German Frauenhauskoordinierung e.V.

The workshop analyzed the current situation of accommodation centres for women who became victims of violence in Tunisia. An introductory presentation by Ms. Gisela Pingen-Rainer, President of the German Frauenhauskoordinierung e.V., provided an opportunity to see the German experience in this field and to launch a debate on several points with the Tunisian associations. The representative of Spanish cooperation, Mr. Rafael Paned, also made a presentation on his work against violence against women in Tunisia but also women's associations in Spain. A sample care form was presented and prompted several questions from participants. The representative of the Minister of Justice, Ms. Faten Sebai, discussed how the inadequate legal framework makes the centres’ work more difficult. The President of the National Authority to Combat Human Trafficking, Ms. Rouadha Labidi, provided insides in the possible impacts of the issue of trafficking in human beings on the victimized women’s shelters.  Ms. Nadia Ben Salah provided an overview of the situation of UNFPA-supported centres for the year and the challenges of funding for the sustainability of services for victims. Mrs Salwa Kennou from AFTURD finished the workshop with a presentation of the economic model of her association for the economic empowerment of FVV for an exit from victimization.

A list of recommendations to improve the working conditions of initiatives and centres as well as demands to authorities and the public in Tunisia was drafted by the participants and Omar Fassatoui.