Women in Tunisia

From the Financial Times:

Suad Abd al-Rahim, a tall, elegant, 47-year-old Tunisian woman with dyed red curls, is no one’s idea of what an Islamist politician should look like.

Yet the businesswoman, who says she has no plans to don the Islamic headscarf, has just been elected to Tunisia’s new constituent assembly on the ticket of Nahda, the Islamist party that has emerged as the strongest political force in the country.

After 22 years of repression under the regime of Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali, the former president ousted by a popular uprising this year, Nahda has staged a powerful comeback, winning 90 out of 217 seats according to final results of this week’s election.

Now the largest party in the new assembly that will write the country’s democratic constitution, it is poised to lead a coalition government.

Tunisian Women

Tunisian women celebrated their national "Women's Day" on 13th August, which commemorates the day back in 1957 when "... the Personal Status Law was promulgated and hailed as a great step forward by the predominantly Muslim North African country."

Now here is something that you may not be aware of: " ... Tunisia [is] regarded as the most advanced Arab country in women's rights and political, social and economic empowerment ..."

From Gulf News:
Leila Ben Ali, the wife of President Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali, was reported as saying: "Tunisian women have become a bright image of a vivacious forward-moving nation and an excellent model of progress and modernism. They are increasingly involved in all economic sectors, now assume greater responsibilities and hold more decision-making positions."

See also: Future for North African Women