ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to underscore the presence of women and their contributions during selected periods in Tunisian history. Tunisian women have been recognized for their contributions as brave combatants in tribal conflicts and foreign invasions and praised for their humanitarian deeds. The passage of the 2014 Tunisian Constitution renewed guarantees of women's rights as articulated in the Code of Personal Status (CSP); more important, it offered new protections for women and expanded their potential role in politics. Tunisian activists, human rights organizations, and women-oriented nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been advocating for changes in the Labor and Penal Codes and in the CSP so that the guarantees of a dignified life could be within the reach of all citizens. Tunisian citizens, particularly women in the countryside, in small villages surrounding coastal cities, and in the poorer urban neighborhoods have long suffered from precarious economic conditions that have changed very little since the revolution.
