ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines Tunisian women's lived experiences, as individuals and as a group, within an historical framework in order to expose, connect, and analyzes the present-day actions and reactions to the challenges that contemporary Tunisian women faced and continue to face following the 2011 Revolution of Freedom and Dignity. It explains how Tunisia's northern shores and its strategic geographic location were the basis for numerous foreign invasions, starting in the 12th century BCE and extending through the 19th century. The book reveals the fragility of effective social change when faced with equally opposing visions for its citizens and how such differing visions often destabilize certain segments of society, eventually resulting in increasing authoritarianism. It also illustrates how women's issues intersect with other socioeconomic demands.
