ZOHOUR AL-MASHRAQI

TUNISIA_Despite the passage of about nine years since the adoption of Organic Law No. 58 of 2017 on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in Tunisia, femicide crimes still raise the concerns of women's and human rights associations, which believe that the existence of a comprehensive legal framework is not sufficient alone to protect women unless it is coupled with actual and effective implementation, facilitating access to justice, and strengthening prevention and protection mechanisms.

The issuance of the law was not a gift from the government, but came as a result of a long path of feminist struggle and demands for the adoption of legislation that provides protection for women and puts an end to impunity. The law established a comprehensive approach based on preventing violence, tracking and punishing its perpetrators, and protecting and caring for victims.

However, the continuation of femicide crimes raises questions about the extent of the success of this system in preventing the escalation of violence and its reaching fatal outcomes, especially in cases where the crime is preceded by indicators of violence or requests for protection.

Women's associations believe that among the problems raised are difficulties in accessing justice, the limitations of some protection mechanisms, and the need to strengthen the human and logistical capabilities of specialized teams. They also call for a legislative discussion on recognizing femicide as crimes linked to gender-based violence, allowing for better monitoring, understanding of their patterns, and the development of more effective policies to confront them.

From Violence to Killing

Journalist Yousra Al-Riahi said that women today in Tunisia, despite all the accumulated laws, remain the weak link, and face many violations and all forms of physical, moral, and verbal violence, and have reached the stage of killing. By the end of 2025 and the beginning of January 2026, 30 women were killed.

She added that any woman who is subjected to violence by her husband and goes to file a complaint against him, either her family returns her to her husband, which facilitates the process of killing her, as happened with Rafqa Al-Sharani years ago, the victim who was killed by her husband, a security officer, with his weapon.

She explained that women are subjected to violence at home, at work, and even on the public road, at the hands of their fathers, husbands, and sons, and even by people in the street whom the victim does not know.

The Fragility of the Legal System

She stated that this, if anything, indicates the fragility of the legal system and the deterrence situations, asking: "What is the use of the law if it is not applied on the ground?"

She addressed the role of the media in combating violence against women and girls, confirming that there are in Tunisia many male and female journalists who have taken the initiative to write many reports and journalistic articles on digital spaces to talk about and shed light on the violence imposed on women and girls, especially after Law 58.

Yousra Al-Riahi called for considering violence against women and girls a topic of utmost priority, similar to political and economic topics, because if society is not built on the basis of preserving the safety of women and girls, "how can we build an economically and politically balanced society?"