Samenvatting

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the evolution of the status of women in Tunisian society from the time Tunisia gained independence in 1956 up to, during and after the uprisings that began in 2010. The aim of this thesis is to provide an overview of the development of the Tunisian woman. Furthermore, this thesis attempts to gain a greater understanding of the current status women enjoy in Tunisia today and presents a combined conclusion and outlook for the future with regard to the possibility of change in the status of women in the country after Ben Ali was forced into exile. The content of this thesis has evolved around the following central question:
How has the role of women changed in Tunisian society before, during and after the recent uprisings?
In order to answer the central question, extensive desk research has been conducted followed by an extensive 3-day field research on the post revolutionary situation in Tunisia, during which a variety of women were interviewed in Tunis, the capital city. To conclude, Tunisian women have considerably enjoyed more rights than their Arab counterparts. Unlike the majority of women in the Middle East and North Africa region, Tunisian women can vote, have access to education equal to men, have access to abortion and have the Personal Status Code protecting their rights as women. However, uncertainty and fear has risen amongst women in Tunisia as the country is currently going through democratic transitions after the recent uprisings. The newly gained freedom is being interpreted differently by the different levels of society and with growing Islamism the previously gained women's rights in Tunisia might be at stake.