Minister of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly Amel Belhaj Moussa kicked off Friday in Kairouan the first edition of “Successful Women in My Country.”
The event is designed to pay tribute to 312 women in observance of National Women’s Day (August 13).
This is an unprecedented move which fits within the decentralisation of Women’s Day events, the minister told TAP. The same events were scheduled concurrently in the remaining gocvernorates.
Thirteen women working in various sectors were selected in each region. Kairouan was picked to host the opening ceremony of this first edition in tribute to some prominent local women who had championed women’s rights.
Reference was notably made to Arwa of Kairouan who had advocated for monogamous marriage under Caliph Al-Mansur.
Likewise, Fatma Fahria was the founder of the Al Quaraouiyine University in Fes, Morocco – recognised as one of the world’s oldest operating university.
The minister called for pooling efforts to address various challenges that Tunisian women continue to face, including poverty, illiteracy, and suicide in marginalised regions
It is within this framework that the ministry launched Wednesday an economic empowerment programme geared towards rural women in Kairouan and Sidi Bouzid.
With a budget of one million dinars, this programme is set to span four months. It will be rolled out throughout the country starting 2024.
The minister said 126 households in Kairouan were among the recipients of the TND 655,000 economic empowerment programme of households with specific needs.
Additionally, 98 women were among the beneficiaries of projects funded under the Women Entrepreneurs programme.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse