International: UN Women congratulates the government and people of Tunisia

On National Women's Day, UN Women congratulates the Government and people of Tunisia on their leadership in women's empowerment and gender equality.Calls on the Tunisian people and Government to continue championing gender equality in the constitutional revision process.

United Nations, New York- 13 August 2012 - On National Women's Day, UN Women recognizes and applauds  the historic role Tunisia has played in the region as a pioneer for gender equality and women's rights.

UN Women joins Tunisian women and men, civil society, and national leadership in marking the 1956 Personal Status Code, the groundbreaking law that enshrined the principle of equality of men and women and granted Tunisian women the rights that they have enjoyed since then for more than a half century.

Women played - and continue to play - a key role as leaders of change in Tunisia, from the streets to the ballot boxes to the decision-making bodies responsible for rebuilding a democratic state and inclusive political institutions accountable to all of its citizens.

UN Women is committed to supporting Tunisian women and civil society to participate meaningfully in these processes and to carry forward and advance the rights that Tunisian women have long cherished.

The passage of the unprecedented parity electoral law in April 2011 reaffirmed Tunisia's continued leadership in advocating for the equal rights of men and women and their participation at all levels of public decision making.

In tribute to these resounding achievements, UN Women turns to the Government and the people of Tunisia for their continued championing of women's empowerment and equality in the constitutional revision process and public life at large.