Gender Equality Policy in Tunisia

Tunisia is passing through a critical historical juncture. In the present debates about the new constitution, the role of Islam in public life and that of women’s rights are among the most central issues. Tunisia’s legislation on women’s rights is the most modern in the Arab world (including notably the right to abortion on demand and access to contraceptives). Tunisian women participated actively in the uprisings, but fear backlash after the victory of the moderate Islamist party, Ennahda, in the first free election after the fall of President Ben Ali.