Leila Ben-Gacem ( ar, ليلى بن قاسم) is a Tunisian social entrepreneur. She is the founder of Blue Fish company and the initiator and founder of several initiatives in the Tunisian ecosystem and cultural scenes through
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
n
Civil Society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere. Ben-Gacem is also an elected member of the municipal council of Beni Khalled since Tunisia's first decentralized municipal elections were held in 2018.
Biography
Ben-Gacem studied
biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...
at
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
. She worked in many companies such as IMM in
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, Assada Medical in
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
.
In 2006, she started the social enterprise Blue Fish to help Tunisian artisans, particularly women, to export their works and develop their businesses. In 2009, she initiated Sougha Est in the khalifa fund for enterprise development in Abu Dhabi in the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
. She occupied the position of Senior Manager at the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, helping Emirati womenartisans in developing their local enterprises, until 2013 when she decided to go back to
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
.
In 2013, Leila founded Dar Ben-Gacem, a boutique hotel and a social enterprise. The guest house's main objective is to contribute to the development of the
Medina of Tunis
The Medina of Tunis is the medina quarter of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
The Medina contains some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains dating from ...
. Ben-Gacem was elected, in the period of 2014-2016, as a board member of Edhiafa Association that deals with the network of boutique hotels in Tunisia. Before that, she was a board member in CJD (Centre des Jeunes Dirigeants) - Young CEO Centre until 2009.
Civic engagement and social change
Ben-Gacem is known as a socio-cultural catalyst. She has been involved in many cultural initiatives to revive the Medina of Tunis and ensure its sustainable development. In 2015, Leila and other civil society actors played a major role in reviving
the Rachidia
The Rachidia is an artistic and cultural association specializing in Tunisian music. It was created on 3 November 1934 by the intellectual, political and artistic community led by , who was Sheikh el Medina of Tunis at that period.Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a multilingual free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a wiki-based editing system. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read refer ...
project MedinaPedia and the first Light Festival in Africa Interference.
In 2015 as well, she has led a national campaign to revive the industry and usage of the Chachia. Leila occupied the position of President of the Association of Preservation of Beni Khalled from 2015 until 2018. She is also a founding member of the Ultramarathon Association in
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
since 2017, where they organised the first Ultramarathon, UltraMirage in Nefta in the south of Tunisia.
In 2017, Ben-Gacem founded the first co-working space in the Medina of Tunis, entitled Dar El Harka, intended as a hub for creative industries. Ben-Gacem joined Emna Mizouni in founding Digital Citizenship organization to advance the knowledge and skills of women entrepreneurs.
Ben-Gacem ran for civic office in the 2018 Tunisian municipal elections, as part of a list of independent candidates with the slogan "Ghodwa Khir - Tomorrow is better". She was elected to the Beni Khalled municipality. Later, she was appointed the head of the finance committee. She also joined the network of women municipal counsellors in the
Maghreb
The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...
region along with Souad Abderrahim and other women municipal councillors.
Recognition
Ben-Gacem received Fatma El Fehria Award in 2017. In the same year, she received the Women Entrepreneur in Cultural Sector Award as well. Prior to that, in October 2016, she became an
Ashoka
Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...