News Press release

Tunisia approved the equal membership in the National Constituent Assembly

(Cairo, April 13th, 2011) The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights received the approval of the decree by the large majority of the High Commission which states the parity between men and women in the membership of the National Constituent Assembly with happiness. The decree helps achieving the goals of the revolution and the democratic transition in Tunisia. With this step Tunisia became the first country in the Arab world to do so.
The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights praises this decree, which gives Tunisia the leadership-role in the Arab world in supporting reform in a way that insures women’s rights and enhances their status in the
decision making positions.

It is worth mentioning that the National Constituent Assembly is the Assembly which has the responsibility of drawing up a new constitution for the country. Hence, ECWR calls for the Military Council and the Committee which was formed to amend the law on the Exercise of Political Rights to follow Tunisia in the steps of reform, in women’s empowerment and in stressing women’s participation within laws to enable women to
strongly contribute in the transitional phase and in building the new Egypt.

In a reference to the stepping down of the symbols of corruption, the Assembly in Tunisia issued a decree banning all “who bore the responsibility in the government or in positions of authority in the ruling party” during the 23 years presidency of the former president Zain El Abdeen Bin Ali from nomination to the National Constituent Assembly.

The decree also bans the nomination to the Assembly for all characters who “appealed” to the stepped-down president to nominate himself in 2014 for a sixth term of presidency although the constitution of the country would not permit this as he exceeded the legal age of president. Thus, Tunisia leads the Arab world in revolution, and leads the Arab World in Reform