The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (French: ''L'Association tunisienne des femmes démocrates'' (ATFD), Arabic: الجمعية التونسية للنساء الديمقراطيات) is a Tunisian feminist association which was founded in 1989.

History

In the 1970s and 1980s, a group of Tunisian intellectuals formed a debating circle around feminist topics in the Tahar-Haddad cultural club with the support of Jalila Hafsia. The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women was officially founded on the 6th of August 1989. It is an independent organization that criticises muslim influences on society, a lack of democracy and violations of women's rights. It judges the development on women's rights in Tunisia according to international standards like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Tunisia did advance earlier in granting women more rights. For example through the

Code of Personal Status in Tunisia The Code of Personal Status (CPS) ( ar, مجلة الأحوال الشخصية) is a series of progressive Tunisian laws aiming at the institution of equality between women and men in a number of areas. It was promulgated by beylical decree o ...

which was established after the declaration of independence in 1956 which was a breakthrough in women's rights. In 1993, the association opened up a counseling center for female victims of violence. In 2004, the association was one of initiators behind the initiative of the

sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...

law in Tunisia. The organization also played an important rule in the

Tunisian revolution The Tunisian Revolution, also called the Jasmine Revolution, was an intensive 28-day campaign of civil resistance. It included a series of street demonstrations which took place in Tunisia, and led to the ousting of longtime president Zine El ...

in 2011. They fought to have election lists that keep gender quotas in mind for the

Constituent Assembly of Tunisia The Constituent Assembly of Tunisia, or National Constituent Assembly (NCA) was the body in charge of devising a new Tunisian constitution for the era after the fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his Constitutional Democratic Rally ( ...

. They always lobbied to have gender equality be put into all new laws. In 2008, the association won the ''Prize for human rights of the Republic of France'' (Prix des droits de l'Homme de la République française). In 2012, it was awarded with the ''

Simone de Beauvoir Prize The Simone de Beauvoir Prize (french: Prix Simone de Beauvoir pour la liberté des femmes) is an international human rights prize for women's freedom, awarded since 2008 to individuals or groups fighting for gender equality and opposing breaches of ...

'' (Prix Simone de Beauvoir pout la libterté des femmes). In summer 2021, the current president of the association, Neila Zoghlami, was present alongside other civil society leaders at Tunisian President

Kais Saied Kais Saied ( ar, قَيس سَعيد; born 22 February 1958) is a Tunisian politician, jurist, and retired law professor, and currently the 8th President of Tunisia since October 2019. He was president of the Tunisian Association of Constitution ...

's broadcast announcement of new "emergency" political measures including the dissolution of parliament, and she has since led the organization in making public statements and calling for political action to return Tunisia to more a constitutionally-based, consultative government.

Presidents of the Association

One of the presidents of the association was the sociologist

Khadija Chérif Khadija, Khadeeja or Khadijah ( ar, خديجة, Khadīja) is an Arabic feminine given name, the name of Khadija bint Khuwaylid, first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In 1995, it was one of the three most popular Arabic feminine names in th ...

, who was formerly the secretary general of the International Federation for Human Rights in which l'ATFD is also a member. Another president was Ahlem Belhadj, who is the head of child psychiatry at the hospital of Tunis. Furthermore the lawyer Bochra Belhaj Hmida was a president and also the law professor

Sana Ben Achour Sana Ben Achour ( ar, سناء بن عاشور, born 1955) is a Tunisian academic, lawyer and activist, and a specialist in public law. She is a professor of public law at the Faculty of Legal, Political and Social Sciences at the University of ...

Safia Farhat Safia Farhat () (née, Foudhaili; 1924 – 7 February 2004) was a pioneer of visual arts in Tunisia, as well as an academic and a women's rights activist. She is remembered for establishing modern tapestry in her country, as well as for her cont ...

, who is a pioneer in visual arts in Tunisia was also heading the organization. The medical professor Habiba Zéhi Ben Romdhane was president of the association. Others included the pediatrician Saïda Rached, the law professor

Monia Ben Jemia Monia Ben Jemia (born 1958) is a Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = ...

and the lawyer Yosra Frawes,. The current president is Neila Zoghlami.

References

{{Reflist Feminist organisations in Tunisia 1989 establishments in Tunisia Organizations established in 1989 Social history of Tunisia Women's rights in Tunisia Pages with unreviewed translations

History

Presidents of the Association

See also

References