President Ben Ali reaffirms Tunisia’s commitment to the Code of Personal Status, announces measures promoting women rights

Tunis, August 12, 2006 (TunisiaOnline)

Tunisia’s President reaffirmed today Tunisia’s strong commitment to the Code of Personal Status, a pioneering legislation adopted in 1956, which has granted Tunisian women equal rights with men. The code includes provisions banning polygamy, forced marriages and repudiation.

In an address made on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the promulgation of the code of personal Status, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali said that “By promulgating the code, Tunisia has proved that political emancipation is indissociable from social emancipation”.

The code he said “is a national gain to which we are committed and with which we are entrusted” adding that “there will be no going back.. That is why we have stood against all those who were nostalgic of the times of fanaticism and reactionary trends”.

Vowing to continually enrich the code, “so that it remains a driving force for our society”, the Head of State announced two measures, meant to ensure equality and partnership between men and women.

The first concerns the preparation of a bill destined to preserve the right of mothers assuming custody of their children to be entitled to live in their house in the case of tensions in marital relations or divorce and to prevent any deception or trickery some might resort to that might unlawfully deprive her of this right.

The second measure is a bill destined to “unify the minimum marrying age, making it 18 for both sexes”, whereas the possibility of marrying between the ages of 18 and 20 “shall remain subject to the consent of the parents”.

President Ben Ali expressed Tunisia’s determination” to sustain all regional and international efforts aimed at disseminating the values of equality, solidarity and modernity” as it did in 2004 during the Arab Summit held in Tunis, when it called for “the promotion of Arab women’s rights” making it “a central issue in the process of development and modernization”.

Full text of presidential address

Status of Tunisian women in brief