Tunisia: A History
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The country now called Tunisia has a long and storied past. It has gone from a place of prominence in the classical world, through years as a subject of colonial European interest in the region, to its current status as an independent country. In every stage of development, women have had a role in the country's destiny. This must be true of any country, for as women constitute half the human population they must necessarily make significant contributions to all societies. However, it is also true that the contribution of women to Tunisian society has rarely been in the forefront of affairs. The face that Tunisia, like other countries in the region, puts forward is usually a male one. This is a result, at least in some measure, of traditional Islamic ideas about the proper roles for women in this primarily Moslem country. Yet, certainly cultural attitudes that lie outside of formal religious practice and belief also affect the status of women. This paper examines the history of this North African country with a focus on the position of women in its past and present and concludes with an analysis for the future of women's roles and women's status. While by Western standards, Tunisian women must seem oppressed, their own view of their situation is in general more sanguine and their hopes for their own futures and the lives that their daughters may lead hold at least a core of optimism. In the earliest known period of its history,
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e Koran repeatedly emphasizes the kind treatment of women and grants to wives the right of divorce in case of maltreatment. The Koran approves polygyny, allowing as many as four wives, but also states, "if you fear you cannot do justice among co-wives, then marry only one wife."
The abuse of polygyny and of the husband's right in traditional Islam to repudiate his wife, even when her conduct is faultless, has recently led to the enactment of reformed family laws in most Muslim countries, including some changes in traditional family status law in Tunisia. Such changes necessarily mean a more equal society for women and perhaps happier (because more egalitarian) marriages as well (Eickelman, 1981, p. 253).
Because it is so central to Islamic doctrine (which in turn governs so many aspects of society in Tunisia) it is useful to examine in some detail the nature of the traditional Islamic marriage. The first element that should be discussed is the extent to which it is a consensual match on the part of the bride and the groom. In fact, Tunisian Islamic marriages are most often arrangements designed to suit the interests and needs of the couple's families. (Although it should be noted that the arranged nature of the marriages
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2858
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)
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