INTERNATIONAL GENDER MONITORING MISSION GENDER PARITY – STILL A LONG WAY TO ACHIEVE INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE IN TUNISIA

COMPOSITION OF MISSION Head of Mission: Sabra Bano Deputy Head of Mission: Magdelena De Meyer National Gender Core Experts Team Mission Consortium: ATFD: Souad Mahmoud/Fetiha Hizem AFTURD: Khadija Ben Hassine/ Salwa Kennou LTDH : Halima Jouini/Abdessatar Ben Moussa

This mission was undertaken jointly between the Tunisian League of Human Rights (LTDH), the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD), the Association of Tunisian Women for Research and Development (AFTURD) and Gender Concerns International. The mission comprised of 10 international and 100 national female election observers deployed across 22 governorates – with a focus on women in rural areas.

MEDIA COVERAGE OF WOMEN IN ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN

Women comprised 47% of the total number of candidates Only 12% of head of lists were women – considerably marginalised in rural areas. It is comparable to the situation in 2011, an increase from 7%. The Constitution of 2014 creates a legislative framework in which all forms of discrimination are prohibited. The state is committed to protect women’s current rights and strengthen them further. Mixed lists present, however there are no current quotas for women’s representation in parliament.

Women represent three out of nine members of ISIE Women are underrepresented in media coverage Greater challenges for women voters, particularly in rural areas

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. More sensibilisation in the form of awareness campaigns and close monitoring of participation of women in rural areas remains necessary. In order to help analphabet women to vote, much more emphasis must be given to the symbols of the lists in manner to simplify the vote’s procedure. 2. Attention should be paid to find some practical measures to help women with young children to vote, especially when the waiting time is long. 3. The principle of parity must be ensured in the composition of all the state institutions, especially in ISIE and HAICA. A gender unit is necessary to guarantee gender balance in composition and operation levels of the electoral administration and other involved instances. 4. The media coverage of women candidate should be improved considerably. The regulations (joint decision ISIE/HAICA), should be reviewed to ensure an equal treatment of male and female candidates. 5. The gender perspective should be considered in all statistics related to elections. 6. ISIE should pay special attention to gender neutral promotion and awareness-raising material. 7. The legal consecration of horizontal parity on electoral lists is necessary to guarantee a real participation of women in elected bodies. Too often, women have had to fight for their rights to obtain good places on the lists. 8. The composition of the new government should give to the Tunisian women the place they deserve in the political scene.

INTERNATIONAL GENDER MONITORING MISSION GENDER PARITY – STILL A LONG WAY TO ACHIEVE INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE IN TUNISIA