Rural women in Tunisia: from research to action, an urgent task

Rural women in Tunisia, who form the backbone of the agricultural workforce, continue to face significant challenges in their working conditions and economic autonomy. A recent national conference, organized under the project SAVOIR-ECO, brought these issues to the forefront, concluding a year of intensive work with a focus on 'economic empowerment of rural women: recent dynamics and public support policies.'

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They constitute more than half of the Tunisian agricultural workforce, but their working conditions remain precarious and their economic empowerment remains a challenge.

Nicolas Fayes, a researcher and project coordinator, presented a nuanced picture. On one hand, there's been remarkable growth in women's agricultural development groups (GDAs), expanding from a single unit in 2011 to 252 today, involving approximately 7,000 members. These groups are actively involved in producing crafts, couscous, and aromatic plants, becoming integral to rural development projects.

However, the reality for an estimated 100,000 female agricultural laborers remains stark. They work daily in the fields under difficult conditions, often without formal contracts, and are exposed to transportation and safety risks on farms. Fayes emphasized that this situation remains largely invisible to both consumers and policymakers, underscoring the need for greater public awareness and action.

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The women's agricultural development groups (GDAs) have gone from a single unit in 2011 to 252 today, bringing together some 7,000 members nationwide.

Key obstacles identified include market access, with GDAs lacking stable sales channels and support for packaging, certification, and quality processes. Furthermore, their current associative status prevents them from issuing invoices, hindering commercialization efforts, especially for exports. For agricultural laborers, the creation of an official status, recognized on identity cards, is deemed crucial to grant them specific rights, including adapted social security contributions for their seasonal work.

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About 100,000 agricultural workers work every day in the fields in difficult conditions, without a work contract, exposed to transport and safety risks on farms.

From a Tunisian perspective, as reported by La Presse, this issue is not merely about economic development but also about social justice and recognizing the vital contributions of women. The recommendations, such as leveraging social media and online commerce—a strategy proven successful in neighboring Algeria but slow to be adopted in Tunisia—point towards innovative solutions. The call for a legal framework that grants GDAs economic personhood is a significant step towards empowering these women and ensuring their work is both valued and sustainable. The unique challenge lies in bridging the gap between the growing number of organized groups and the precarious situation of the vast majority of rural women workers, a challenge that demands urgent policy intervention.

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The current associative status of GDAs prevents them from issuing invoices, making any commercialization effort in supermarkets or for export particularly difficult.