Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) expresses its deep alarm at the worsening violations against women’s rights and public freedoms in Tunisia.

A day once dedicated to honouring the landmark Personal Status Code and the achievements of Tunisian women has, in its 69th year, turned into a stark reminder of the suffering women now endure under growing repression.

Since President Kais Saied’s exceptional measures on July 25, 2021, democratic safeguards have been steadily dismantled. Arbitrary arrests, politicized trials, and the erosion of constitutional guarantees have become routine. The damage goes beyond the abolition of gender parity in the 2022 Constitution and the weakening of equality institutions—it reaches into homes, tearing away mothers, sisters, lawyers, journalists, and activists, often on fabricated charges. Such acts flagrantly violate Tunisia’s own constitution, its laws, and its binding commitments under the CEDAW Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

On this National Women’s Day, WJWC stands with Tunisian political parties and civil society groups who are demanding the immediate release of all female prisoners of conscience, along with others detained for political, civic, or union-related activism. Criminalizing peaceful activism is not only an assault on individual rights—it is a step back into the darkest chapters of authoritarian rule.

Behind the statistics lie lives and families. Women like Monia Ibrahim, wife of political prisoner Abdelhamid Jelassi, sentenced to 13 years, and lawyer Dalila Ben Mabrouk Mossadeq, sister of constitutional law professor Jawhar Ben Mabrouk, endure the relentless strain of Tunisia’s punitive system. Week after week, they carry the quffa—a heavy basket of food, clothing, and hygiene supplies—through long queues and degrading procedures, often under blistering sun or driving rain, for a few minutes with their loved ones.

WJWC also condemns the continued misuse of Decree 54 to prosecute human rights defenders, journalists, and migrant rights advocates. This decree has become a weapon against critics, cutting away at the space for free expression and civic life.

In light of these grave developments, WJWC calls for:

·         The immediate and unconditional release of all female prisoners of conscience and political detainees.

·         An end to prosecutions targeting women activists, journalists, and human rights defenders.

·    Protection and reinforcement of the Personal Status Code, in line with international equality and human rights standards.

·   Collective resistance to laws and policies that exclude women from public life or strip away their political and civil rights.

·  Concrete guarantees from the Tunisian authorities to ensure women journalists and human rights defenders can work free from threats, harassment, and intimidation.

What is happening in Tunisia today is not simply a setback—it is the deliberate unravelling of decades of progress in women’s rights and human dignity. This year, National Women’s Day is no celebration. It is a call to action: to reclaim freedom, equality, and justice before they vanish entirely.

Issued by:

Women Journalists Without Chains

August 14, 2025