Witness History Women's rights in independent Tunisia
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Mar 20, 2026 Saida El-Gayed, founding member of the Tunisian Women's Union and journalist, recalls campaigning for post-independence reforms. She discusses the 1956 personal status code, grassroots outreach in rural areas, educating girls about rights and contraception, and efforts to win men's support for change. The conversation highlights legal reforms like banning polygamy and expanding abortion access.
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Personal Status Code Transformed Women's Legal Status
- Tunisia's 1956 Personal Status Code radically advanced women's legal equality across civil status, education, and political rights.
- President Habib Bourguiba framed these laws as part of a socialist nation-building project that expanded women's public roles.
Saida's Role Explaining Reforms With Bourguiba
- Saida El-Gayed recounts working closely with Bourguiba as a journalist and founding member of the Tunisian Women's Union.
- He asked her to help explain the new laws to Tunisians and relied on the union to communicate reforms.
Early Reformers Linked Islam And Women's Liberation
- Tunisian women's activism had intellectual roots from early 20th-century reformers like Tahir al-Haddad who argued Islam supports women's liberation.
- Al-Haddad faced accusations of heresy and died in poverty, yet became a symbol for the movement.