ZOUHOUR MECHERGUI

Tunisia- Leila Chebbi, president of the Irtiqa Association, thinks that nothing can threaten the achievements of women except the patriarchal mentality that prevents the development of social freedom. “Women should unite to reach their goals,” she told NuJINHA. We spoke to Leila Chebbi about the reality of women in rural areas of Tunisia, the association’s activities and projects.

“Laws do not protect women”

You post videos and photos on your social media accounts about discrimination against women. What kind of reaction do you receive from women about your posts?

We, as the association, prefer an innovative way to address women's issues and combat the patriarchal mentality through our projects. In Tunisia, women have resisted defending their rights since colonialism despite the law. Tunisian women fought and joined the national movement to protect and liberate their country. But current Tunisian laws have failed to protect Tunisian women. The increase in violence faced by women in their daily lives proves this.

“Activities should be carried out in line with humans’ values”

We have carried out many activities with various sects and we have seen that laws alone are insufficient to protect women.  That is why we must work to change the mentality and spread the patriotic spirit in Tunisia in modern and simple ways. We have realized that some Tunisian groups haven’t paid much attention to academic publications to combat this phenomenon. Activities should be carried out to achieve gender equality, justice, and active participation in line with humans’ values. As long as we work in this context, we can move forward faster.

“Women have made many achievements”

Do you think the achievements of Tunisian women are under threat?

I see no threat to the achievements of women. We struggle to achieve our other rights. Since Tunisia's independence, women have made great achievements by pushing the governments to amend the Code of Personal Status, to pass the national law combating violence against women in 2017, to lift the ban on inter-religious marriages, and to have the right to abortion. But the patriarchal mentality is a threat against the achievements of women. We have struggled to destroy this mentality to ensure gender equality.

“The project protects women through art”

You have carried out a project called, “It’s Art”. Could you give us more information about this project?

The “It’s Art” project is a three-year project. We started the project in the Babbouche region, located in the northwest of Tunisia on the Tunisian-Algerian border. The project has been carried out for young men and women and children. The aim of the project is to activate the principle of human rights, protect civic culture, feminist culture, and women's rights through art. It is funded by the International Monetary Fund.

What kind of activities do you carry out to spread the citizenship culture?

We work with women living in rural areas, especially in agriculture. Rural women need people who understand their pain and situation and act with them. Women need people, who understand and feel them. So we, as the association, try to gain the love and trust of women to support them.