{"id":1380,"date":"2016-10-28T10:48:08","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T10:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jasminefoundation.info\/?p=1380"},"modified":"2016-10-28T11:07:42","modified_gmt":"2016-10-28T11:07:42","slug":"the-guardian-tunisian-coalition-party-fights-for-womens-rights-with-gender-violence-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jasminefoundation.info\/?p=1380","title":{"rendered":"Tunisian coalition party fights for women’s rights with gender violence bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \"guardian-women\"<\/a><\/h1>\n

Tunisian coalition party fights for women’s rights with gender violence bill<\/span><\/h1>\n

A<\/span><\/span>fter 14 years of sexual harassment at work, Idihar Chaieb finally got her day in court. The widow had been repeatedly propositioned and groped<\/p>\n

by her boss, who was also a local official in her home town of Menzel Bouzelfa, an hour\u2019s drive from Tunis. When he finally got the message that Chaieb wasn\u2019t interested in his advances, he threatened to destroy her reputation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was afraid to speak out. I thought I would be blamed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Finally, supported by a former teacher, women\u2019s organisations, and her son \u2013 and buoyed by the 2011 revolution<\/a> in Tunisia \u2013 Chaieb gathered the courage to sue her tormentor. \u201cI didn\u2019t want compensation, I just wanted him to leave me alone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

To her dismay, however, in March 2015 the judge ruled against her. Chaieb was fired from the company where she had worked for 25 years; her former boss demanded a letter of apology. She was left devastated and destitute.<\/p>\n

Chaieb\u2019s story is not untypical in Tunisia. Despite its reputation for being the most progressive country in the Arab world on women\u2019s rights, with almost one-third<\/a> of parliament consisting of female MPs and more than 700 civil society organisations working on gender issues, violence against women and sexual harassment are endemic.<\/p>\n

Almost half of women aged 18-64 \u2013 47.6% \u2013 had experienced some form of violence, according to a 2010 survey<\/a>. There is little evidence that the situation has improved since the uprising<\/a> that ended the dictatorship of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and led to a democratically elected government.<\/p>\n

However, this month Tunisia\u2019s parliament is debating a bill to strengthen legislation on violence against women. Championed by Ennahdha<\/a>, a conservative reformist party with Islamic roots and a clutch of dynamic female MPs and officials, the bill is expected to be passed by the end of 2016.<\/p>\n

The proposed law, which would be incorporated into other legislation and government policies, would introduce sweeping definitions of gender-based violence, covering psychological and economic harm in both the public and domestic spheres. Marital rape would be outlawed and there would be an end to impunity for rapists if their victims are under 20 and they subsequently marry them. Penalties for sexual harassment at work would be increased and police officers and hospital staff trained in gender issues.<\/p>\n