Improving access to legal services for women survivors of violence in Tunisia

9,800

Between 23 March and 31 May 2020, 9,800 calls requesting emergency shelter services were recorded on the country’s toll-free helpline numbers – nine times higher than usual.

2,700

Of these 9,800 calls, 2,700 represented violence cases and many of the other calls were received from women with pending court cases or in need of financial and material assistance.

In 2017, Tunisia passed a landmark law to combat violence against women, signifying an historic gender equality milestone just three years after the adoption of its 2014 Constitution. The law encouraged the opening of new shelters as another means to provide protection for women seeking refuge from violence.

The shelters, mostly operated by civil society organizations, offer physical protection to women survivors of violence, along with legal services, education, and support for the socioeconomic reintegration of women into society.

Over the past two years, IDLO has organized national workshops as part of its program of activities to discuss best practice and set standards for the management of both new and existing shelters, culminating in the development of the country’s first procedure manual that outlines uniform guidelines for shelters as they deliver legal services to women and children survivors of violence.

In 2020, the Ministry of Women, Family, and the Elderly adopted the manual through a decree, turning IDLO’s guidelines into an official legal text, seen as another example of the progressive series of gains towards women’s access to justice in the country.

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated risks for women and made many more susceptible to violence while under lockdown, bringing renewed significance and urgency to the shelters’ work.

As restrictions on movement entered into force, IDLO created a dedicated helpline, where legal consultations could take place over the phone. Using national radio and Facebook, the service reached a larger number of people than would have been possible in normal circumstances – a much-needed result, given the escalation in reports of domestic violence against women trapped in confinement. The initiative provided a total of 83 legal consultations (in-person and remotely), benefitting 215 people and offered legal aid support to vulnerable women in 102 cases through court representation.

“The consultations were a unique and effective tool that allowed us to speak out and participate in developing recommendations that can improve access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence.”

Sarah Mersni, Bridges of Citizenship