Tunisia women's rights

1390 Words3 Pages

In the Middle East, women’s roles in society have been confused with the different interpretations of the Qur’an and different influences the regions have had from pre-Islamic times until the 21st century. Women’s roles in marriage in the Qur’an is equal and loving but has been twisted and altered due to different interpretations of what marriage means in the regions. Tunisia is a significant country in the Middle Eastern region as far as women’s rights go. It is important to distinguish what “women’s rights” means in the Middle East versus what the Western world perceives, and often times expects, of those societies. Women’s rights in Tunisia have improved and go against the many stereotypes the West has about the region to this day. This can be shown in aspects of everyday life such as their role in the family, marriage, and divorce. While there were vast, legal improvements made after independence, it can be seen that they were not always followed and weren’t firmly put into place until much later. ??!?! when? Marriage began to change drastically and significantly in terms of divorce, polygamy, and custody rights. One of the more controversial aspects of marriage is polygyny. The political and societal practices and interpretations of Tunisia have changed drastically. Shari’a Law is flexible enough to be vastly different based on interpretation of the Qur’an and Hadith but it seems apparent that its sources, the Qur’an and Hadith are not, in fact, permitting the practice. Tunisia started to make the changes seen in the laws related to family stemmed from the French occupation from 1881 until March 20,1956: when they claimed independence. Power went to the nationalist Habib Bourguiba that led to a law reform (in August of 195... ... middle of paper ... ...0225767#reader_0520225767 http://doras.dcu.ie/15733/1/5.pdf - Reforming the family code in Tunisia and Morocco: the struggle between religion, globalization, and democracy Boittin, Jennifer Anne. 2010. "Feminist Mediations of the Exotic: French Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, 1921–39." Gender & History 22, no. 1: 131-150. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 30, 2013). "World Intellectual Property Organization." Tunisia: The Constitution of Tunisia, 1959. http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text.jsp?file_id=188948 (accessed November 24, 2013). - PRIMARY SOURCE: TUNISIAN CONSTITUTION Tamanna, Nowrin. 2008. "Personal Status Laws in Morocco and Tunisia: A Comparative Exploration of the Possibilities for Equality-Enhancing Reform in Bangladesh." Feminist Legal Studies 16, no. 3: 323-343. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed December 2, 2013).

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