This parallel report represents a feminist reading of the official report of the Republic of Tunisia on the implementation of the Beijing +30 Declaration and Platform for Action, which was issued by the Ministry of Women without consulting the most important human rights and feminist organizations working in the field of women’s rights and gender equality.
It should be noted that this report comes amidst the difficult political circumstances facing Tunisia, characterized by numerous challenges and difficulties, the most important of which relates to the political climate, which is characterized by stifling and the confiscation of freedoms, targeting many activists in civil society and politicians, whether through judicial proceedings or arrests of journalists, politicians, and heads of associations, as well as their employees, or the persecution of some who have been forced to emigrate. 2024 is also a presidential election year that confirms the governing approach pursued by President Kais Saied since he dissolved parliament on July 25, 2021, and single-handedly wrote a new constitution for the Tunisian state. He then monopolized power through a series of decrees and circulars that he issued, which undermined most of the gains achieved since 2011. This was followed by several measures, including the dissolution of municipal councils, in which, for the first time, women are represented equally with men, and for the first time, the number of female heads of municipal districts exceeded 30%, thus consolidating his approach of monopolizing power and consolidating it in the hands of one person. There is no judicial or legislative authority, and “judges,” according to his logic, are employees and do not represent an independent authority, so they have no right to rebel.
