The Ministry of Family, Women, Childhood and the Elderly Wednesday affirmed Tunisia’s commitment to improve women’s conditions and support their contribution to development, in partnership with the civil society, pointing out the importance of economic empowerment of Tunisian women and girls.
The International Women’s Day is an annual event to assess the achievements made at the national and regional levels to improve Tunisian women’s conditions, reads a press release issued on the occasion of the International Women’s Day observed on March 8 each year.
The ministry further recalled the importance of boosting the economic empowerment of Tunisian women and girls in compliance with the principles of equality, citizenship and equal opportunities between men and women, underlining that the new programme for the economic empowerment of women victim of violence “Samida” seeks to step up women’s economic and social empowerment.
1,050 Tunisian women have benefited from the national women’s entrepreneurship and investment programme “Raidet,” which set up a credit line to support projects launched by groups in vulnerable situations, including women victims of violence, the ministry indicated.
The department reviewed the various achievements for women’s benefit, citing notably the setting up of a national observatory to counter violence against women and the 1899 toll-free number for reporting cases of violence against women, operational every day of the week.
The ministry further recalled the publication of a joint circular between the ministries of Women and of Health on granting a free-of-charge preliminary medical certificate to women victim of violence, within no more than 48 hours.
The number of accommodation centres for women victims of violence has risen from 2 to 10 following agreements inked with several NGOs, the ministry added.
The ministry commended the efforts exerted by all partners, civil society, national figures and media to defend women’s rights.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse