UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 68) The Constitution enshrines the principle of equality between women and men by using both the masculine and feminine forms of the term “citizen”.
Para 69) Article 46 of the Constitution requires the State to protect women’s rights as enshrined in the Personal Status Code and to strengthen and develop them.
Para 70) The Ministry for Women, the Family and Children protects the rights acquired by women even before the promulgation of the Constitution. With a view to ensuring that women have access to its services in both urban and rural areas, 24 regional delegations for women’s and family affairs were established in 2013 to cover the entire territory of the Republic. The Ministry was restructured with the aim of supporting equality of opportunity and gender equality, integrating women into social and economic life, and promoting the economic empowerment of women by creating administrative bodies tasked with monitoring and opposing discrimination and violence against them, an economic empowerment authority and an authority for the advancement of rural women.
Para 74) Since 2012 Tunisia has been implementing a national strategy to combat violence against women adopted in 2008, in cooperation with a number of United Nations organizations and civil society associations. It focuses on four areas: monitoring and assessment of the phenomenon of violence against women; provision of appropriate and diverse services to respond to the needs of women victims of violence: social mobilization and awareness-raising with a view to changing conduct and eliminating the phenomenon of violence against women; and advocacy of a review of the legislation and support for a legal system that prevents and criminalizes violence against women.
Para 75) An Organic Bill aimed at eliminating violence against women was referred to the Assembly of the Representatives of the People for discussion and adoption in July 2016. The Bill, which adopts a comprehensive approach, provides for prevention, deterrence, protection and the establishment of institutional mechanisms. An advocacy and support plan has been developed for the Organic Bill as well as a legal framework applicable to care centres for women victims of violence. Al-Aman shelter for the protection of women against violence was established in 2015 and is run in partnership with civil society. A map of services rendered to women victims of violence and women in situations of vulnerability has been produced and circulated. Steps have been taken to continue implementing the pilot project on “Multisectoral care for women victims of violence in the area of Greater Tunis”, which was launched in 2014. Sectoral protocols concerning care for women victims of violence have been developed (for the sectors of women, the family, childhood, health, justice, the interior and social affairs) as well as a concise procedural manual for their sectoral care. On 25 November 2016, a green telephone line for listening and offering guidance to women victims of violence was launched. A total of 266 calls had been received by the end of 2016.
Para 84) The Centre for Research, Studies, Documentation and Information on Women has implemented numerous initiatives aimed at promoting and protecting women’s rights.

National Report:
Para 86) Two organic acts have been drafted. The first concerns approval of accession to the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (...) The bills were drafted following consultations among ministries and with civil society.

National Report:
Para 15) In keeping with this recommendation and consistent with the goals and demands of the Tunisian revolution, the State has ratified several international treaties, including:...The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (statute no. 3/2011 (19 February 2011) and ordinance no. 551/2011 (14 May 2011))

Para 17) Following the recommendations issued on 22 October 2010 by the CEDAW Committee, Tunisia entered a new phase, taking the decision to withdraw the reservations to CEDAW pursuant to statute 103/2011 (24 October 2011) and ordinance no. 4260/2011 (28 November 2011).

Para 109) Pursuant to statute no. 103/2011 (24 October 2011), Tunisia resolved to agree to withdraw the reservations to CEDAW, in order to strengthen gender equality further.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 3) The Higher Committee on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (CSDHLF) and a number of stakeholders welcomed the adoption of the legislative decree withdrawing the reservations made when the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was ratified on 16 August 2011. HRW indicated that Tunisia maintained a general declaration suggesting that it might not implement reforms that conflict with Islam. HRW; Joint Submission 2 (JS2) and the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH) recommended that recommended that Tunisia lift the remaining general reservation to CEDAW.