"With the promulgation of the Personal Status Code in Tunisia on 13 August 1956, the principle of equality between men and women was established in the area of citizenship. Since then, Tunisia has made considerable progress, particularly in recent years, by adopting concrete measures to strengthen the role of women and their active participation in society, especially at local level," welcomed Constance de Pelichy (France, EPP/CCE), South-Mediterranean Spokesperson of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and Mayor of La Ferté St-Aubin, on the occasion of Tunisian Women's Day, on 13 August 2020.
The Congress Spokesperson mentioned in particular the electoral law amended in 2017 and its obligations of horizontal and vertical parity which has led to 47% of women in municipal councils and 20% of women Presidents of Councils, including the Mayor of Tunis. "Today, Tunisia stands out as a leader in the field of gender equality, particularly in the Arab world," she said, while calling for continued efforts.
"The achievement of gender equality is a sine qua non condition, not only for a true democracy, but also for social justice and economic development of our countries. This fight is far from being won, in Tunisia as elsewhere," the spokesperson said, stressing the many barriers that remain against the full and complete involvement of women in society.
"The Congress of the Council of Europe is convinced that the local level offers better opportunities for change and for women's participation in municipal or regional councils and executives. It is also the most favourable level for the direct involvement of women in the day-to-day administration of communities and for the development of political talent," she explained.
"Within the Council of Europe, the Congress has been dealing with gender equality issues and the active participation of women at local and regional level for more than 20 years. We must continue this fight, and this is only possible with the participation of all members of society," she concluded.
As part of its work, the Congress will consider a report on combating gender-based violence against women in politics at local and regional level at its 39th Session to be held at the end of October 2020.
The South-Med Partnership programme adopted by the Congress in 2017, aims at supporting territorial reforms and strengthen decentralised governance in beneficiary neighbouring countries. This programme contributes to implementing the local and regional dimension of the Council of Europe policy towards neighbouring regions, in particular the Neighbourhood Partnerships with Morocco and with Tunisia (2018-2021). The activities organised in this framework benefit from financial support by Liechtenstein, Norway and Spain.
