This week we talk to the Ambassador of Tunisia to South Africa – Narjes Dridi. We discuss the challenges as well as achievements that Tunisian women have experienced in their journey to empowerment, tracing back to the first queen of Carthage (ancient Tunisia), circa 800BC. Ambassador Dridi emphasises the paradigm shift of 1956 which led to a modernisation of culture in Tunisia with the introduction of Acts for the emancipation and empowerment of women. This legislation gave women the right to divorce, to vote, to receive an education, to work, abolished polygamy, raised the legal age of marriage to 18 etc… As a result of this enabling legislation, today women in Tunisia account for 34% of parliament, 43% of judges, 40% of doctors and 50% of pharmacists. Importantly this type of legislation cannot be allowed to regress, and further progress must allow for the protection of the gains women have made and the advancements to come, for an empowered women is also an empowered man. Tune in for more…

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