But now they are free to choose who to love. tunisian women were given yet another safeguard against massive families when they became the first women in any muslim country able to have abortions. the law at present is that any tunisian woman with four children can have an abortion without her husband s consent. the operation is paid for by the government. president bourguiba told us to make women feel like they have a role to play, that they have the right to live in dignity and to trust themselves and their soul. he said he gave women these rights not as a gift, but because he saw women s power to lead in post independence society. ....