After coming back from the fields, Rajeh and Hakima take their sheeps to the fields. Pau González for The National
Faouzia rises at 4am each day to graze her sheep, the fleece from which she sells to help support her family. Pau González for The National
“If we didn’t go out to work in the fields we wouldn’t be able to feed our kids” says Faouzia Khimiri, 53. She lives in Bulla Regia, a village built atop Roman ruins just outside Jendouba city. Pau González for The National
Rabiha Jwiri has worked in the fields since age 17. Last November while harvesting from the top of an olive tree she fell. She broke her leg, spending 6 months in a wheelchair with no medical insurance of any kind. Pau González for The National
In the tiled halls of Tunisia’s parliament hundreds of kilometres away, Chedia Hafsouni, an MP from Jendouba affirms: “It’s really up to the efforts of the state. But the state doesn’t have an organised strategy to address rural women’s problems. Their strategy is failing.” Pau González for The National
Woman shepherds in the outskirts of Jendouba City. Pau González for The National
Peppers dry on a rooftop in Jendouba city. Pau González for The National
“Education is essential. There are women in the mountains who can’t read, like I couldn’t. Their eyes are closed to all possibilities,” says Chadlia Ayari, an activist focused on eliminating the widespread domestic violence against rural women and their children, as she herself has overcome violence. Pau González for The National
Despite representations of Tunisia abroad as a regional champion for women’s rights, especially since the Arab Spring, the reality for rural women can be brutal. Pau González for The National
Salsabil Kouki is a rural women and the president of the local branch of the Association of Community Development and Citizenship. Women like her are trying to get more attention from local authorities. Pau González for The National
“The road has been paved. The municipality has extended public water to us. But this was only after countless sit-ins, and after we brought numerous complaints to the governor’s office,” explains Salsabil as her eldest son runs through the fields. Pau González for The National
Rajeh Balti and Hakima Ghedr are dropped off a truck near their village. They are agricultural day workers, hired for work which often begins around 4am. They work for ten dinars per day, the equivalent of around three and a half dollars. Pau González for The National
After coming back from the fields, Rajeh and Hakima take their sheeps to the fields. Pau González for The National
Faouzia rises at 4am each day to graze her sheep, the fleece from which she sells to help support her family. Pau González for The National
“If we didn’t go out to work in the fields we wouldn’t be able to feed our kids” says Faouzia Khimiri, 53. She lives in Bulla Regia, a village built atop Roman ruins just outside Jendouba city. Pau González for The National
Rabiha Jwiri has worked in the fields since age 17. Last November while harvesting from the top of an olive tree she fell. She broke her leg, spending 6 months in a wheelchair with no medical insurance of any kind. Pau González for The National
In the tiled halls of Tunisia’s parliament hundreds of kilometres away, Chedia Hafsouni, an MP from Jendouba affirms: “It’s really up to the efforts of the state. But the state doesn’t have an organised strategy to address rural women’s problems. Their strategy is failing.” Pau González for The National
Woman shepherds in the outskirts of Jendouba City. Pau González for The National
Peppers dry on a rooftop in Jendouba city. Pau González for The National
“Education is essential. There are women in the mountains who can’t read, like I couldn’t. Their eyes are closed to all possibilities,” says Chadlia Ayari, an activist focused on eliminating the widespread domestic violence against rural women and their children, as she herself has overcome violence. Pau González for The National
Despite representations of Tunisia abroad as a regional champion for women’s rights, especially since the Arab Spring, the reality for rural women can be brutal. Pau González for The National
Salsabil Kouki is a rural women and the president of the local branch of the Association of Community Development and Citizenship. Women like her are trying to get more attention from local authorities. Pau González for The National
“The road has been paved. The municipality has extended public water to us. But this was only after countless sit-ins, and after we brought numerous complaints to the governor’s office,” explains Salsabil as her eldest son runs through the fields. Pau González for The National
Rajeh Balti and Hakima Ghedr are dropped off a truck near their village. They are agricultural day workers, hired for work which often begins around 4am. They work for ten dinars per day, the equivalent of around three and a half dollars. Pau González for The National
After coming back from the fields, Rajeh and Hakima take their sheeps to the fields. Pau González for The National
Tired of waiting, Tunisia's rural women are organising for change
They are working to break out of poverty, fight against oppression and make their voices heard in politics