The Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Tunisia has proposed a new bill to eliminate all forms of violence against women. The bill would increase criminal penalties for perpetrators of violence, including sexual harassment in public, and expand the definition of violence against women to include “physical, mental, sexual, or economic acts.” According to a study conducted by the Center for Research, Documentation and Information on Women between 2012 and 2015, 41% of women interviewed experienced physical violence and 75% experienced sexual violence in public places.
Many view the bill as another attempt to narrow the gap between the spirit of the 2014 Tunisian constitution promoting gender equality in all domains of human life and existing laws and government actions that continue to discriminate against women.
Compiled from: Nadhif, Ahmed, Can New Tunisian Bill Help Counter Violence Against Women? Almonitor (August 11, 2016) and Zaineb Ben Taineb, Government Minister: Half of All Tunisian Women Subjected to Public Violence, Tunisialive (August 4, 2016).