Experts and Gender‑Equality Advocates Stress That Legal Reform Alone Is Not Enough
Experts and defenders of a gender‑focused approach emphasized that achieving equality between women and men goes beyond adopting laws; it also requires a deep transformation of mindsets and genuine support for women at every stage of their lives.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, celebrated on 8 March, they called for instilling a culture of equality from the earliest years of schooling by integrating human‑rights and gender‑equality concepts into curricula.
They also pointed out that Tunisian women, despite their high level of education, remain burdened by domestic and family responsibilities, which hampers their professional trajectories and limits their participation in economic and social life.
According to them, although Tunisia has a legal framework guaranteeing women’s rights, reality is still shaped by a cultural heritage dominated by patriarchal mentalities.
More Graduates, Fewer Opportunities
Hajer Chahbi Habchi, Executive Director of the Arab Institute for Human Rights, reminded that the Tunisian Constitution states in Article 51 that the State is committed to protecting women’s acquired rights and to consolidating and promoting them.
The State also guarantees equal opportunities for men and women in accessing various responsibilities across all fields and strives to ensure gender parity in elected assemblies.
Nevertheless, she argued that society continues to view women as less capable of assuming certain responsibilities because of the weight of household tasks.
The results of the 2024 General Census of Population and Housing reveal that women account for 57.4 % of higher‑education graduates, yet their unemployment rate stands at 20.8 % compared with 12.6 % for men.
For Hajer Chahbi Habchi, this situation reflects the limits of an economic system that does not offer the same opportunities to women and men, due to direct or indirect discrimination, professional structures poorly adapted to family responsibilities, and unequal access to certain sectors.
In this context, she highlighted the need to better integrate a gender perspective into public policies and national programmes, to promote female entrepreneurship—especially in rural areas and disadvantaged neighbourhoods—and to strengthen women’s political representation, notably by re‑activating the parity principle in local and legislative elections.
Women Overburdened with Responsibilities
Radhia Jerbi, President of the Tunisian National Women’s Union (UNFT), stressed that Tunisian women are overwhelmed by family duties—from child‑rearing to daily household management—limiting their opportunities for professional advancement and personal development.
She also observed that some women continue to adopt a traditional view of role distribution, which helps keep men in classic roles and increases the burden on women.
An Oxfam study indicates that women in Tunisia spend 8 to 12 hours per day on unpaid domestic tasks, and that the combined total of household and professional work can, in some cases, exceed 17 hours daily.
According to Radhia Jerbi, the accumulation of family, educational, and professional responsibilities leads to significant physical and psychological fatigue, marked by anxiety and stress.
She also mentioned difficulties arising from the mismatch between school schedules and work hours, as well as transport problems, which intensify daily pressure.
Low Female Participation in Political Life
Sociologist Belaïd Oulad Abdallah noted that several sociological studies have highlighted the link between changing lifestyles, women’s entry into the labour market, and the reduction of time they can devote to themselves, skill development, or civic engagement.
He explained that Tunisian women face great challenges in reconciling professional and family duties, which has caused a sharp decline in their participation in political, associative, cultural, and leisure activities.
He attributes this situation primarily to family burdens, evident in the long waits of mothers outside schools when children are dismissed—a reality that generates psychological and social stress capable of disrupting family balance.
Finally, specialists underline that investment in female human capital—evidenced by high school‑enrollment rates—will only bear full fruit if it is accompanied by flexible economic and social policies that promote work‑life balance and enable women to participate fully in the economy.
