Where we work
Tunisia
WHY WE WORK IN TUNISIA
After many significant achievements for gender justice in Tunisia, recent events threaten to destroy all progress.
In 2024, only 31% of Tunisian women ages 15-64 participated in the labor force, a rate below the global average (49%). Similarly, women’s political participation in Tunisia remains relatively low. While progress has been made in recent years, women’s representation in political parties and decision-making roles remains limited. According to data from the World Bank Group, as of 2024, the proportion of seats held by women in the Tunisian parliament is 16% Violence against women in politics continues to be one of the most significant obstacles to women’s full participation and representation in political life. This underrepresentation reflects the challenges faced by women in actively engaging in partisan action and political work. The current political transformation in the country will undermine women’s representation in formal institutions.
Legal reforms and initiatives have aimed to improve access to reproductive health services. However, there are still gaps to be addressed. Data from The World Bank Group’s Gender Data Portal shows that the rate of adolescent fertility has remained roughly the same since 2010. In 2023, 4.5 births per 1000 women ages 15-19 were registered, compared to 5.9 births in 2010.
Gender-based violence (GBV) is pervasive in Tunisia. A recent study comprising 110 Tunisian women shows that 45.5% of the women reported instances of GBV in Tunisia. . A UN Women study on violence against women in the online space, published in 2021, shows that 46.7% of women survivors reported having been exposed to online violence in the past year. Human rights organizations’ report that sexual harassment is a major problem in Tunisia, affecting women in various settings such as public spaces, workplaces, and educational institutions. These forms of GBV undermine women’s freedom of movement, personal safety, and overall well-being. They pose a barrier to women’s active participation in society, hindering their access to education, employment, and public life.
WORKING FOR GENDER JUSTICE IN SEVEN COUNTRIES
In addition to Tunisia, KVINFO works in Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine in the current strategy period.
Click on one of the countries above to read more about our work.
Gender-based violence is pervasive in Tunisia. According to the UN, approximately 47% of Tunisian women have encountered some form of domestic violence in their lifetime. This includes physical, psychological, and emotional abuse.
Sexual harassment is also a major problem in Tunisia, affecting women in various settings such as public spaces, workplaces, and educational institutions. The OECD reports that around 70% of Tunisian women have encountered sexual harassment at least once in their lives.
This form of gender-based violence undermines women’s freedom of movement, personal safety, and overall well-being. It poses a barrier to women’s active participation in society, hindering their access to education, employment, and public life.
WHAT WE DO
KVINFO aims to support feminist civil society and the active participation of women in public life. Together with the organizations’ we support we work to develop knowledge to advocate for gender justice and challenge the normalization of violence against women in politics.
Examples of work with partners include:
- Campaigning for the active participation of women in decision-making
- Developing a visual culture of feminist art to challenge stereotypes and violence
- Creating knowledge and analysis of women’s rights in law
- Mapping feminist civil society and reinforcing networks
WHO WE WORK WITH
In Tunisia, KVINFO works with two types of organizations’.
The first type are big membership-based women’s rights organizations’ with broad outreach and well-established networks.
The second type of organizations’ are small, often relatively newly established and specialized organizations’. They are issue-based, agile and innovative, and develop, apply and adapt new methodologies. They are often localized with smaller reach but have the potential to scale up.
