Tunis: Tunisian women celebrated their national day amid calls by their first lady for greater involvement of women in scientific research and a better contribution in promoting knowledge "for the sake of a durable and balanced development of the nation."
Tunisia, regarded as the most advanced Arab country in women's rights and political, social and economic empowerment, has been celebrating Women's Day on August 13 since 1957 when the Personal Status Law was promulgated and hailed as a great step forward by the predominantly Muslim North African country.
The celebrations, marked by a public holiday, provide an opportunity to assess the progress achieved by women and to plan the year ahead.
"Tunisian women have become a bright image of a vivacious forward-moving nation and an excellent model of progress and modernism. They are increasingly involved in all economic sectors, now assume greater responsibilities and hold more decision-making positions," Leila Ben Ali, the wife of President Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali, told the nation in her annual address on August 13.
"They are well represented in several fields including the fields of law, engineering, media, education and medicine."
However, they need to reinforce their involvement in scientific research, she said, explaining that their "contribution to enriching knowledge is necessary to achieve a sustainable and balanced development in a country that relies essentially on its human resources."
A greater presence of women in the area of scientific research would be in line with Tunisian women's aspirations for a brighter environment and their ambitions for more successful working and living conditions, she said in her address to a forum on female researchers in Hammamet, a resort 60km south of Tunis, under the topic Tunisian Women and Scientific Research: Advanced Competence and Determination to Innovate.
In a letter of congratulations to the National Union of Tunisian women, President Ben Ali said that Tunisian women have now become aware that their "full and balanced partnership with men was an inevitable condition to achieve progress and prosperity and to contribute to the nation-building process."
However, Ben Ali stressed that "while the government had an essential responsibility on the protection and consolidation of women's rights, women's associations and civil society also had an important role in promoting these rights."
Tunisian women should also exert greater effort to ensure they respond positively to the challenges awaiting them, he said.
"We are confident Tunisian women are determined to fulfil all the expectations while they remain forward-looking in their actions and a shining element in the bright reputation of their country," he said in the message published by the Tunisian news agency.
