A traditional family that is gradually changing
The warmth emanating from the Tunisian family unit is unmistakable. In the countryside, the family is very traditional, with the father as undisputed head. In the cities, women work and hold positions of responsibility, while their children are looked after by their nannies. In recent years, however, mutual aid and family solidarity have been changing, and the institution of the family is undergoing upheaval. The Tunisian population, which was essentially rural over 50 years ago, now lives in urban areas. Households today are changing their place of residence, often living alone and separated from the extended family. Even if the latter plays a supportive role, a regression in its role and paternal power is being felt. In fact, the father's decision-making power in marriage is waning, and this trend is giving rise to tensions and ruptures, as the new generations assert themselves in decision-making. Children need their parents for material support, as the difficulty of finding a job makes them dependent, sometimes well into old age.
A focus on education that doesn't always bear fruit
Generalized since the early years of independence, since 1991 education has been compulsory for 9 years for all children aged 6 to 16. The national baccalaureate diploma validates the secondary cycle and opens the doors to university. National examinations are of a high standard. Graduates are well rewarded and showcased, with some parents publishing a congratulatory message in the newspaper, possibly accompanied by a photo of the new baccalaureate winner. In higher education, curricula vary from short courses of two to four years, to long courses of four years or more. The number of teaching staff at Tunisian universities remains insufficient to cope with the rapid increase in student numbers. Despite these efforts, by 2022, a study shows that 2 million Tunisians are illiterate. According to the Presse newspaper, this figure is both the cause and consequence of "the collapse of societal values, school drop-out, a failing education system and the absence of a national strategy".
Difficult access to work
Since its independence, Tunisia has attached great importance to implementing a policy for young people. Reforms have been implemented in education at all levels and in vocational training. Vocational training, through "trade schools", is a second chance for young people, but it is only partially exploited. Low levels of education persist, young people lack work experience, and low pay and lack of protection do nothing to help. Unemployment figures are fairly high for all categories of the population. According to the latest estimates, the total unemployment rate is 16.4% (2023). Unemployment, which is often long-term, affects many young people, and particularly women, with or without qualifications. Youth unemployment was at the root of the Tunisian revolution of 2011: by self-immolating in front of the Sidi Bouzid governorate headquarters, Mohamed Bouazizi, an unemployed graduate and street vendor, demonstrated the disarray of Tunisian youth, particularly in the interior of the country. Employment is still a priority. Promising sectors include tourism, new technologies, renewable energy, the electronics and electrical industries, and agriculture.
The uniformity of the exterior of the house disappears inside
Each house in the medina is first and foremost a private space in which the family can work and rest. To passers-by, the houses have an austere, off-putting appearance. The principle of uniformity that reigns in the alleyways of the medina aims to erase (outwardly) the differences in social class between the inhabitants. In everyone's eyes, they're all in the same boat.
The difference is on the inside. Very often, this will be a large blind wall, perhaps pierced by small, screened windows, high enough to prevent a peek inside. If they are located on the upper floors, the openings will be larger, lined with jalousies or moucharabiehs, often projecting from the street. Privacy is always preserved. The front door is vast, sometimes monumental, decorated with colors and symbols. Once through the door, you generally arrive in the reception room, the limit for "foreigners".
Most of the house is the woman's domain. For some time now, the strict separation between private and public in the home has hardly been observed. In fact, modern buildings have encouraged this change, as they make no architectural concessions to Islamic preferences.
Regular strikes
Since the 2011 revolution, Tunisia has been hit by numerous strikes and factory occupations. Long banned under Ben Ali's regime, employees had no means of making demands, and strikes were often violently repressed. Since the fall of this regime, social inequalities and the poor distribution of wealth have been the main concerns of Tunisians. Companies in the center of the country (particularly around Gafsa) are the most affected, and today there are few days of truce or sectors spared. In June 2022, magistrates from all Tunisian courts went on strike for four weeks to protest against President Kaïs Saïed's dismissal of 57 of their colleagues for alleged corruption. This unprecedented action was a reminder of "everyone's right to fair justice".
The difficult evolution of morals
Traditionally, girls are required to be virgins at the time of their marriage, and this requirement still applies today. However, in big cities like Tunis, morals are more flexible in this respect... It's not uncommon for young women to have known other men before getting married, the main thing being that they appear to be virgins at the time of their marriage; to achieve this, they may undergo a small operation... Some couples also live in concubinage; this is certainly not frequent, and not very well regarded by those around them either, but it nevertheless denotes a certain change in mentality.
The consecration of marriage
It remains a goal for almost all Tunisian girls. Before being the occasion for great family festivities and sometimes sumptuous celebrations, marriage is a civil and religious act: it obeys certain precise rules. Under Tunisian law, the husband has no power over the administration of his wife's property. Moreover, marriage cannot take place without the wife's explicit consent. A new trend is for marriages to take place before civil registrars at the town hall. Alternatively, marriages can take place at home (although the process takes longer) or at the mosque. Normally, the spouses undergo a blood test to check that there is no incompatibility between the man and the woman for the child to be born. To this end, the mayor or his deputy always requests a medical certificate.
While retaining its Islamic character, marriage is, from a legal point of view, merely a civil ceremony. The traditional ceremony is the exception rather than the rule, and can last two weeks, usually three days, or sometimes even just one day, during which the bride-to-be is dressed in the most beautiful outfits, made up and depilated; her feet and hands are covered with henna designs. Throughout this preparatory period, she is the object of all our attention. The wedding ceremony and its preparation vary slightly from region to region. In general, however, the preparatory rites are similar.
The evolution of women's rights since the 20th century
Equality between men and women is expressly affirmed in Tunisian legislation, an almost unique case in the Arab-Muslim world. Until Tunisia gained independence, legislation concerning the status of women was based on the Islamic laws of the Koran. In 1936, the Union musulmane des femmes de Tunisie (Muslim Women's Union of Tunisia), linked to Zitounian circles, was founded. The equality, solidarity and responsibility of both parents were affirmed through a series of provisions: the abolition of polygamy, the institution of judicial divorce and the equality of men and women with regard to the right to divorce were incorporated into the Personal Status Code, which came into force on August 13, 1956. Habib Bourguiba was faithful to his commitment to equality between men and women. Today, "Women's Day" is celebrated every year, and is always a public holiday (which is not the case in France).
Women play an important role in rehabilitating crafts and arts and crafts, and in adapting traditional techniques and styles to the needs of modern life. Last but not least, it's not uncommon to see female police officers and cab drivers on the streets, female pilots on Tunisair routes and, deep in the Kerkennah Islands, female "fishermen". The January 2014 Constitution reaffirmed the place of women in society: gender parity in elected assemblies, equal pay for men and women, protection of women's achievements and the fight against domestic violence. But the battle goes on, especially in the private sphere.
The struggle for gay rights
On April 24, 2020, the marriage of a gay Franco-Tunisian couple celebrated in France was made official in Tunisia following an administrative error. In Tunisia, homosexuality is still considered a crime, punishable by three years in prison. Mounir Baatour, president of Shams, an association fighting for LGBTQI+ rights, and the couple's lawyer, reported that "the marriage certificate [was] transmitted by the French town hall to the Tunisian consulate. The consulate forwarded it to the municipality of the Tunisian husband's place of birth, which transcribed it onto his birth certificate."
But the case that could turn the tide for gay rights in Tunisia is the so-called "Kef affair", a region in the northwest. In July 2020, two men, then aged 26, were sentenced to one year in prison under article 230 of the Penal Code, after refusing to undergo an anal test. This practice still exists in 7 countries worldwide, including Tunisia. Lawyer Hassina Darraji called the sentence "cruel and [going] against international standards." So, in December 2021, a group of lawyers and human rights activists launched an appeal in cassation against the law on homosexuality, which dates back to colonial times. In 2024, this law had still not been repealed, and in June LGBT+ activists demonstrated in Tunis to once again demand the decriminalization of homosexuality, at the call of several local NGOs.
