Femicide In Tunisia: Why A New Law Couldn t Crack The Patriarchy Social media post paying tribute to Refka Cherni, victim of domestic violence - Mosaique FM
A recent spousal killing in El Kef demonstrates how vulnerable Tunisian women remain despite the introduction, four years ago, of a law specifically designed to protect them.
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TUNIS Her name was Refka Cherni. She was 26 years old and had a whole life ahead of her when, on May 9, in the city of El Kef in northwest Tunisia, five shots fired by her husband snuffed out all her hopes and dreams.
Before falling victim to her husband a national guard officer who used his service weapon to end a marital quarrel this mother of three children was first a victim of those who refused to hear her.
Dubai: In the UAE, several changes to the country’s laws were announced this year. Several decree laws were also announced in 2020, altering the regulations related to personal status, social life and personal freedoms. Here is a roundup of the biggest changes that will affect you and your life in the UAE.
1. Changes to marriage laws
In November 2020, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a number of presidential decrees amending some articles in the Personal Status Law, the Federal Penal Code, and the Federal Penal Procedural Law.
One of the changes to the Personal Status Code stipulated that the laws of the country in which a marriage took place would be applied with regards to the marriage’s terms. The earlier provisions applied the laws of each spouse’s country of nationality.
Is the status of women in Tunisian society endangered?
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Tunisia is frequently cited as being at the forefront of women s rights in the Arab world because of the unique status of Tunisian women. Since the enactment of the Personal Status Code (PSC) in 1956, Tunisian women have played a greater role in the country s development. More recently, they played a vital role during the democratic transition in the aftermath of the revolution.
Since I took up my duties in Tunis, I have repeatedly observed the important place of Tunisian women in society and in the professional world. A growing number of women now occupy management positions at the highest levels of the civil service and the private sector. Moreover, the indicators are promising: the country ranks 4th in terms of gender equality in the MENA region. Tunisian women have a literacy rate of 72%, account for 42 % of higher education students, and hold 36 % of parliamentary seats.