REDUCED WORK HOURS FOR WOMEN: ADVANCING WOMEN'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 001081 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG - LAWRENCE, DRL/IL - DEMARIA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2016 TAGS: SOCI ELAB PGOV PHUM TS SUBJECT: REDUCED WORK HOURS FOR WOMEN: ADVANCING WOMEN'S OPTIONS OR DISCRIMINATION? REF: A. TUNIS 666 ¶B. TUNIS 338 ¶C. 04 TUNIS 2236 Classified By: AMBASSADOR WILLIAM HUDSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In March, President Ben Ali announced that his 2004 election proposal to allow women to work for half the hours for two-thirds the pay would be enacted in 2007. (NOTE: It is not yet clear if this proposal will apply to all women in the work force or only nursing mothers. END NOTE.) Designed to allow Tunisian women to balance family and professional life, the proposal may also reduce unemployment, as more Tunisians can be employed, at a lower cost, in existing positions. While presented as another step towards professional and social equality for Tunisian women, others claim that the proposal actually reverses women's rights, which are historically strong and effective in Tunisia. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) The reduced working hours system is one of twenty-one initiatives included in President Ben Ali's "Program for Tomorrow's Tunisia", which was announced during the 2004 presidential elections (Ref C). Ben Ali announced that "to make it easier for women to reconcile their family life with their professional commitments," a new system would allow women to work half-time for two-thirds the salary, while retaining their retirement and social security rights. (NOTE: As is typical with such proposals, the specifics of who will be covered and for how long is not clear as the detailed legislation has not yet been released. END NOTE.) Although the proposal was viewed with some interest by Tunisia's working mothers, no immediate action followed the initial announcement. During his speech marking the fiftieth anniversary of Tunisian independence (Ref A),Ben Ali revived the proposal and announced, "the promulgation, in the near future, of the law concerning implementation of this decision. This law will take effect starting January 1, 2007." Neither the Chamber of Deputies or Advisors has reviewed the law for passage yet, but it is unlikely that any substantial changes will be proposed. ¶3. (SBU) Ben Ali's proposal will in part reduce Tunisian unemployment (currently the official rate nears 14 percent), as more workers can fill the same positions. However, it is unique in a country that prides itself on women's achievement and empowerment. Women are present in almost all fields, and statistics show women represent nearly fifty percent of primary and secondary school teachers, 42 percent of medical professionals, 32 percent of engineers and 31 percent of lawyers. Tunisian women also enjoy a wide variety of rights in the workplace, from anti-discrimination laws to limits on the type of work and working hours. Maternity leave is generous, with mothers granted two months paid leave from work, plus an additional one hour a day leave for the first year after returning to work. ¶4. (C) Given this progress, some view the new work hour proposal as a step backwards for women's rights. On April 24, the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD, Ref B) announced its opposition to the proposal, arguing it is "a deep blow to the principle of equality between the sexes and non-discrimination" and also suggests "the women's place (is) in the home." The ATFD also noted its surprise that Ben Ali had made this announcement during the period in which Tunisia celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Personal Status Code, which in 1956 provided Tunisian women with rights which are still lacking in much of the Arab world, such as equal rights to divorce and the banning of polygamy. Another concern is coverage. According to the local Arabic weekly newspaper al-Hadath, the proposal will apply only to nursing mothers. The paper estimates that less than one-third of those women working in the public sector will be eligible to participate in the system. Additionally, despite Ben Ali's assurances, a woman who chooses the program will lose some of her retirement benefits, which are based on total salary compensation. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: The proposal is interesting, as it seeks to address a social issue - balancing work and motherhood - with which far more developed countries are still grappling. Pragmatically, for Ben Ali, it could help boost employment figures and also appeal to conservative religious groups, who would prefer a more traditional society. Social critics charge, probably correctly, that it will reduce women's standing as competitive members of the work force, while practical observers contend that only a very few women would be able to accept even a thirty percent pay cut. END COMMENT. HUDSON