Femicide & women's rights in Kais Saied's Tunisia: Why do they hate us?

Tunisia has been experiencing an alarming surge in femicide since January 2023. Shockingly, 23 women have fallen victim to intimate partner violence according to feminist organisation Aswat Nisaa. The brutal methods used—gunshots, burnings, slaughter, strangulation, vehicular attacks, and stabbings—reveal the stark reality that these women meet their untimely deaths simply because they are women.

With each new victim a haunting question echoes within me: Why do they hate us? By "they," I refer to the men who commit these atrocious acts and the broader issue of gender-based violence.

The South African feminist activist and scholar, Diana Russell, redefined 'femicide' as the "killing of females by males because they are female." It is crucial to recognise that femicide is a deeply tragic and brutal manifestation of misogyny. For too long, media and popular culture have portrayed femicide as a product of irrationality, love, passion, or desire. The truth is much grimmer—they kill us because they hate us.

''Ironically, our homes, which are meant to be sanctuaries, often transform into chambers of brutality for women. In Tunisia, a staggering 72.51% of cases of violence occur within the confines of the home, with husbands accounting for 48.46% of the perpetrators. These statistics dispel the illusion that domestic spaces are immune to the wider societal scourge of violence.''

This deep-rooted hatred finds its sustenance in two patriarchal and enabling institutions: the state and the family.

State misogyny

In Tunisia, under the current leadership, including our first ever female head of government, we are witnessing a concerning revocation of rights and a lack of protection for women. Femicide, the most extreme form of gender-based violence, represents the tragic end of a cycle of violence that has persisted with impunity. While this violence primarily occurs in private spaces, gender-based violence is inherently political as it mirrors the continuity of state violence.

Governments exist to protect their citizens, as stated by political scientist Anne Marie Slaughter: "The oldest and simplest justification for government is as a protector: protecting citizens from violence." Unfortunately, the failure of the head of government to effectively deploy resources and enforce Law 58, which commits to ending gender-based violence, has resulted in an alarming increase in reported cases of domestic violence, including documented instances of femicide.

Many victims of femicide have sought help from the police, initiated divorce proceedings, and requested protection, only to be failed by the state. In addition to a culture of impunity, an enabling environment for various forms of violence leading to femicide also persists.

For instance, an institutional anti-gender discourse seeks to intimidate feminist movements and women's rights organisations, baselessly accusing them of being detached from reality and serving foreign agendas. Even the president himself, Kais Saied, has been attacking feminists for being elitists and disconnected from the realities of Tunisian women, especially rural women.

Furthermore, hate speech from Saied targeting undocumented Black migrants, has given rise to xenophobic attacks. Black migrants, especially women, find themselves in highly vulnerable situations, facing unemployment, homelessness, and physical violence.

Gendered disinformation campaigns and the weaponisation of the private lives of women in public positions go largely unpunished.

The government, the Ministry of Women, the head of government, and the Ministry of Interior remain silent, seemingly attempting to conceal gender-based violence.

It is essential to acknowledge that violence escalates under oppressive regimes due to the absence of accountability. This is why we must politicise femicide and recognise that any assault on democracy constitutes an assault on women's rights and safety. After all, democracy cannot exist without the upholding of women's rights.

Patriarchy within the family

In every culture, the concept of family is often revered and glorified. However, it is crucial for us to critically examine and challenge this notion because the prevailing narratives that project an idealised image, often contribute to the silencing of those who experience violence within those walls.

The concept of family has played a crucial role in generating the ideologies necessary to uphold oppression. By acknowledging that familial spaces can be fraught with power imbalances, oppressive norms, and hidden suffering, we recognise the complexity of the women’s experiences. The men who commit femicide did not emerge out of thin air; they are products of a deeply entrenched conservative and patriarchal culture that permeates Tunisian society. A culture that enables men to feel entitlement over our bodies, our sexualities, our choices and our lives.

Ironically, our homes, which are meant to be sanctuaries, often transform into chambers of brutality for women. In Tunisia, a staggering 72.51% of cases of violence occur within the confines of the home, with husbands accounting for 48.46% of the perpetrators. These statistics dispel the illusion that domestic spaces are immune to the wider societal scourge of violence.

As the American feminist Kate Millett noted: "The family, as a patriarchal institution, imposes control and conformity where political and other authorities fall short." Hence, within the family unit, individuals learn and exercise violence.

Confronting a problem begins with acknowledging it. There is still a confusion between femicide and homicide, which makes the need to legally define femicide all the more urgent. Moreover, we need official census because collecting and analysing data will provide a better understanding of the phenomenon in order to combat it more effectively.

Law enforcement in Tunisia should also receive proper training to handle violence against women effectively. Adequate funding should support shelters, hotlines, and legal assistance, and community engagement should be treated as vital to preventing femicide and strengthening support networks that empower women and foster collective solutions.

Concurrently, we must confront the deeply ingrained norms and structures within our society that perpetuate gender inequality by challenging traditional notions of family and redefining power dynamics within relationships.

In the shadows of our homes, where pain and violence dance an intricate tango, lies a call for change. May this call cast off the shaming silence of the Tunisian government.

Ikram Ben Said is a feminist activist and founder of Aswat Nisaa, a Tunisian feminist organisation that works on women’s political participation and feminist public policies.

Follow her on Twitter: @IkramBenSaid2 

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Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.