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