ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the socio-economic and employment context in Tunisia, to explore the background to the revolution and the context of life in Tunisia. It analyses the legal framework and texts that regulate street vending, guided by informal exchanges with municipal police officers who enforce regulations on the occupation of public space. The chapter examines the legal framework within which street trading operated, and the challenges to street vendors that it posed. Street vending covers various types of trade Tunisia, and is generally known as the commerce de la debrouille or 'the trade of coping and resourcefulness'. Surveys were conducted with traders in Tunis to examine their context of trading and the impact of the Arab revolution. The local administration in Tunisia comprises the collectivites locales. Activities, such as repair services, do not necessarily fall within the legal framework of vending authorisation, but can be authorised and subject to local tax if approved by the collectivite locale.
