Archives des advocacy

“Total Democracy”, An Advocacy Campaign on Including Horizontal Parity in the Electoral Code for the Municipal Elections

Aswat Nissa joined the advocacy movement supporting the inclusion of horizontal parity in the Electoral Code for the Municipal Elections. This would encourage women’s, youth’s, and disabled people’s representation on the list of candidates. The advocacy campaign was led by the supported by more than forty national, regional, and international organizations, with Women on the Frontline as a key partner. Legal experts and activists took part in the movement and issued multiple policy briefs.

An important press conference took place on May 10th to officially launch the campaign. Aswat Nissa organized meetings with MPs and various Parliamentary committees to discuss gender parity in political institutions and women’s participation in decision-making positions.
The campaign was quite successful and led many politicians to endorse the concept of gender-parity proposed by the coalition. This campaign contributed significantly in the Assemblée des Représentants du Peuple’s adoption on June 15th, 2016 of a law disposition on horizontal parity, with 127 votes in favor (95% in favor).

Ennos Bennos is an advocacy campaign (included under the Women on the Frontline’s regional program) for the implementation of gender parity on the electoral lists of political parties for the municipal elections.
A collective of associations are behind this campaign: their common goal is to implement the principles of equality and parity on the municipal electoral lists for 2017.
The collective wrote a Charter to be ratified by all Tunisian political parties. Its ratification would ensure women have access to decision-making positions within their respective parties, and would ensure that electoral lists are made in complete transparency.
A policy brief has been elaborated to organize this advocacy campaign which is geared towards the political parties and public opinion.

Writing the Charter

Meeting of the Commission to write the Charter “For an Equal Implementation of Gender Parity within the Electoral Lists for the Municipal Elections”.

Meetings with Political Parties

A major aspect of this advocacy campaign required the collaboration between the political parties and the collective. For three months, the collective met with many actors of the Tunisian political stage who were mostly in favor of the objectives of the Charter. Meetings were held with the leader of the Afek party, the spokesperson of Al Joumhouri, the coordinator of the Women’s Commissions of the Al Machrou3 party, members of the General Secretory of the Al Masar party, the coordinator of the Moussawat organization within the Worker’s Party, the president of the Women’s Department of the Ennahdha party and the leader of the Central Direction of Structures and Mobilization of the Nidaa Tounes party.

The Press Conference

On December 23rd 2016, a press conference was organized for the political actors to sign the Campaign Charter in front of an audience of media, civil society members and political parties. The 23rd of December remains a historical day for Tunisian women thanks to the eight parties that signed the Charter:

Mr Junaidi Abdeljawed and his party Al Masar
Mrs Amina Rekik and her party Al Machrou3
Mrs Tej El Molk Aouicha and her party Al Joumhouri
Mrs Ons Hattab and her party Nidaa Tounes
Mrs Wassila Zoghlami and her party Ennahdha
Mr Mouhamed Dheif and his party Afek Tounes
Mrs Thouraya Krichene and his party Al Watad
Mrs Radhia Amdouni and the Worker’s Party