1 00:00:00,510 --> 00:00:04,709 Okay, everyone, welcome. My name is Mariam Alexander. 2 00:00:04,710 --> 00:00:10,110 And those of you that don't know me. And this is the first Trinity term event. 3 00:00:10,110 --> 00:00:13,800 Um, the, uh, the women's rights in the Middle East research seminar. 4 00:00:14,310 --> 00:00:23,969 So thank you for being here. We are very, very happy to have Doctor Hiba Charslie with us today, who has been, uh, visiting Antonia this year. 5 00:00:23,970 --> 00:00:29,670 And we have loved having her around and have been really waiting for this talk. 6 00:00:30,090 --> 00:00:36,659 Glad it's here. Uh, Doctor Qazi is an associate professor of political science and former director of undergraduate 7 00:00:36,660 --> 00:00:43,860 programs at George Mason University at the Shah School of Policy and Government since 2014. 8 00:00:44,130 --> 00:00:48,030 She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on international relations theory, 9 00:00:48,030 --> 00:00:53,760 civil society and social movements, politics, government and society of the Middle East and North Africa. 10 00:00:54,090 --> 00:00:58,320 Uh, Israeli Palestinian politics and Islam and politics. 11 00:00:59,220 --> 00:01:04,740 Sure, you're in high demand. Uh, so we're happy to have you. 12 00:01:05,370 --> 00:01:11,970 Um, she was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Teacher Award and the 2022 Dean's Service Award. 13 00:01:12,550 --> 00:01:19,230 It actually shows these and affiliated faculty to the Adam Silverman Centre for Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University, as well. 14 00:01:19,770 --> 00:01:27,629 And, uh, she was an adjunct faculty in Georgetown University's master's degree program at the centre for Democracy and Civil Society as well, 15 00:01:27,630 --> 00:01:30,780 before 2014. Uh, no, actually. 16 00:01:31,140 --> 00:01:40,049 Oh, we can yeah, we can kind of be an adjunct somewhere and also be, um, but today she will be speaking with us about Tunisian trade union women, 17 00:01:40,050 --> 00:01:46,300 which, if I'm not mistaken, she's also been directly, uh, involved with at in a former activist life. 18 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:49,390 Yes. Yeah, I will tell you about that. So, yeah. 19 00:01:49,430 --> 00:01:53,820 Uh, you are the exact person you want to hear about this from. 20 00:01:54,180 --> 00:01:57,330 And, uh, please join me in welcoming doctor. Thank you. 21 00:01:58,050 --> 00:02:03,210 Thank you very. Thank you so very much. 22 00:02:03,220 --> 00:02:06,250 Thank you to Professor Alan Zadeh. 23 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:12,130 Mariam Jun, I get to practice my few words of Farsi with with with Mariam. 24 00:02:12,430 --> 00:02:16,720 Um, and thank you to everyone here. Um, I truly appreciate your support. 25 00:02:17,050 --> 00:02:20,660 And, um, I just have to do a shout out to my dear husband. 26 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,720 So thank you for all your support, because I couldn't be here without you. 27 00:02:24,730 --> 00:02:32,650 So thank you. Um, and thank you to my school for giving me this year of sabbatical, because it's been grand. 28 00:02:32,650 --> 00:02:39,100 And I must say, uh, it's going to be hard to go back, but, um, I'm looking forward to it. 29 00:02:39,250 --> 00:02:43,180 And, um, registration is already open for our courses. 30 00:02:43,210 --> 00:02:48,520 Uh, in the U.S, you know, we start early, our courses begin, you know, on the 26th of August. 31 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:52,749 So I'm teaching three. One of them is already full and there's a waiting list. 32 00:02:52,750 --> 00:02:58,540 So. So anyway, so I better get my act together between them, uh, now and then. 33 00:02:58,540 --> 00:03:03,069 So okay, I'm going to talk about Tunisian trade union women. 34 00:03:03,070 --> 00:03:07,000 It's a it's a bit of a mouthful, but there are agents of change. 35 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:14,650 And I'm going to tell you their story and how they have been doing that within their unions, but also within their society. 36 00:03:14,980 --> 00:03:22,450 I think everyone knows where Tunisia is. Uh, I was there in January, but, um, I do have quite a bit of history with them. 37 00:03:22,570 --> 00:03:26,770 I started working with the Tunisian labour movement in 1994. 38 00:03:27,340 --> 00:03:29,170 Okay. So it's it's been a while. 39 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:39,940 And, um, so really this is kind of, uh, uh, it's been a, a life endeavour, um, several decades of working with them and seeing them today. 40 00:03:39,940 --> 00:03:42,970 Uh, is, is really, uh, it's really very, very exciting. 41 00:03:43,660 --> 00:03:47,200 Okay. So first of all, why Tunisia? Okay. 42 00:03:47,710 --> 00:03:55,840 There's a reason, uh, and those are sort of the three there are three things that I want to spend time with you on today is why Tunisia, 43 00:03:56,290 --> 00:04:03,790 uh, why focusing on women and women in the labour movement and why the labour movement also, these are all related. 44 00:04:03,790 --> 00:04:14,259 And I think when it comes to Tunisia, it will make sense why Tunisia, Tunisia had a revolution in 2011, actually, uh, 45 00:04:14,260 --> 00:04:26,890 the day a 17th of December, 2010 was the day that that young man Mohammed, in um, uh, Sidi Bouzid set himself on fire. 46 00:04:27,550 --> 00:04:32,500 It was a very dramatic moment and, uh, very sadly, he suffered. 47 00:04:32,500 --> 00:04:35,860 And he died on the 4th of January, 2011. 48 00:04:36,970 --> 00:04:47,200 That moment that that those days in the life of Tunisia and Tunisians, um, led to some very dramatic events thereafter. 49 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,370 And a revolution then ensued. Uh, an uprising. 50 00:04:51,370 --> 00:04:56,860 Now, Tunisia has always been for us, living in the region, for us in the neighbourhood, 51 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:02,890 um, is a quiet and gentle place, and we refer to it in Arabic as Tunisia. 52 00:05:03,940 --> 00:05:10,540 Tunisia, the green. Um, it is a relatively small country when it comes, if you look at its neighbours, 53 00:05:10,540 --> 00:05:15,480 if you look at, you know, um, Algeria to one side, Libya to the other, of course. 54 00:05:15,490 --> 00:05:21,640 Um, on the other side, Egypt, um, small in size and small in population. 55 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:29,530 We're talking about 11 million people. So, um, who it is in that place, everything began. 56 00:05:29,710 --> 00:05:37,720 It's sort of where it all started. It's where that first domino fell and then the others came after. 57 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:42,820 So that's why Tunisia, um, is, is very, um, is very important. 58 00:05:43,180 --> 00:05:49,060 Uh, also that it started all in a rural poor area. 59 00:05:49,210 --> 00:05:54,370 And so you think of revolutions, you think of cities, you think of urban urban unrest. 60 00:05:54,700 --> 00:05:57,790 But this started in a rural poor area. 61 00:05:58,150 --> 00:06:04,540 It was very much pointing to the crooked system, the corruption that was in the country. 62 00:06:04,810 --> 00:06:10,180 No hope, uh, and a young man of 26, 27 years old. 63 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:15,880 And I think you all know the story. Taking his life, uh, in, in such a manner. 64 00:06:16,330 --> 00:06:21,310 It captured Tunisia, captured our imagination, it captured the headlines. 65 00:06:21,940 --> 00:06:30,820 It sort of stole the thunder in the region, uh, and everyone and I think I know many, um, in Egypt would say sort of look aside and say, 66 00:06:30,870 --> 00:06:37,629 goodness, that's just Tunisia, you know, and they would look at it a bit with some disdain, which is very unfortunate. 67 00:06:37,630 --> 00:06:45,550 But then some would say, well, then that sparked things to start happening in Egypt, you know, in January of 2011. 68 00:06:45,820 --> 00:06:50,020 But anyway, I just wanted to to set the scene for you. And why Tunisia? 69 00:06:50,430 --> 00:06:59,620 Uh, Tunisia in particular. Um, can you she also has and continues to have a large middle class and remember that that's that's also important. 70 00:06:59,990 --> 00:07:07,370 Because that's that group in society that will tend to take the take the lead and so forth. 71 00:07:07,490 --> 00:07:10,670 There are a few other things that I'll point out a little bit later. 72 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:16,550 Why focus on Tunisian women of of all people, if you will? 73 00:07:16,820 --> 00:07:30,020 Because Tunisia was also known very much so that it was the leader for women's rights in the region ever since 1956 56, 74 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,440 and with their first president after independence, 75 00:07:33,710 --> 00:07:44,540 Habib Kabi was this, you know, Maverick, here I was the some sort of tough guy, uh, that very much, um, advocated for women. 76 00:07:45,290 --> 00:07:51,410 And it's sort of it took that role of emancipation of women in the Arab world. 77 00:07:52,070 --> 00:07:56,930 But there was some issues, there were some issues. And, um, I will I will address those issues. 78 00:07:57,260 --> 00:08:04,490 Um, because when you have something coming down and they refer to it actually as state feminism. 79 00:08:05,030 --> 00:08:09,889 Okay. And I think you're familiar with it, um, it, it's, it's problematic. 80 00:08:09,890 --> 00:08:19,580 It ends up actually there was a backlash in the sense that it didn't recognise or didn't take into account some of the more conservative, 81 00:08:19,850 --> 00:08:29,450 um, uh, cultural Muslim values and, and traditions, if you will, in the rural areas, but also but also in the cities. 82 00:08:29,870 --> 00:08:32,180 So it was a double edged sword, if you will. 83 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:38,840 Um, and so I think that's why it was important for me to, to spend time with Tunisian women in particular. 84 00:08:39,680 --> 00:08:47,090 Now before I leave work, though, he was, um, an interesting fellow in the sense that he focussed very much his policies, 85 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,080 uh, and his agenda on education and health care. 86 00:08:51,380 --> 00:08:54,709 He said, look, this is again from interviews and people, you know, 87 00:08:54,710 --> 00:08:59,840 telling me these and also from, from many readings is that he said, look, we're a small country. 88 00:09:00,260 --> 00:09:06,409 We're never going to be able to compete, you know, with the Algeria or the Egypt, you know, in terms of military, if you will. 89 00:09:06,410 --> 00:09:12,860 So we put our money into something that we will never win in the sense that building up their military, building up their army. 90 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:20,660 So I'm going to invest in what, you know, people and education and health care were the best and the top. 91 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:27,980 And that's excellent really, because it left Tunisia with a healthy, educated population and really, 92 00:09:28,190 --> 00:09:33,170 uh, it, it, it factored into the middle class in terms of building that middle class. 93 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,100 Okay. All right. Now why trade unions? 94 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:46,339 Well, besides that, in my prior life, um, I spent, um, 28 years or so, I think. 95 00:09:46,340 --> 00:09:53,360 So, yes. Uh, I'm showing my age, but, um, from, uh, 1981. 96 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:58,730 Yeah, 1981 with, uh, Solidarnosc in Poland. 97 00:09:58,730 --> 00:10:09,200 That's how I got roped in. I was still I was still a senior, and I was some I was, um, in my fourth year at university in Washington, DC. 98 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:13,190 And so, um, I was very much attracted by the, 99 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:21,440 by the movement and this incredibly bold movement in Poland to stand up to the communist regime and and so forth. 100 00:10:21,710 --> 00:10:28,470 So. The labour movement in Tunisia was founded in 1948. 101 00:10:28,950 --> 00:10:33,900 Okay. If you recall, I just said that Tunisia actually got its independence in 1956. 102 00:10:34,290 --> 00:10:41,100 So the labour movement was actually there on its feet before Tunisia became officially independent from France. 103 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:45,630 The labour movement known as the in the French acronym, usually today, 104 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:51,660 which is a new general, did propel Tunisia, which is the general union of Tunisian Workers. 105 00:10:52,110 --> 00:11:02,280 Um, they were founded and they were very much part of the Tunisian struggle against colonialism and against the colonial power, against the French. 106 00:11:02,790 --> 00:11:07,590 They were hand in hand with labour and with several other leaders. 107 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:12,780 And one of the gentlemen I'm going to share with you his name is some, uh, for help. 108 00:11:12,820 --> 00:11:18,750 Hachette. Uh, let me go. There he is. Was one of the founders or was the main leader. 109 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:24,130 And actually, very sadly, he he was assassinated in 1952, um, by the French. 110 00:11:24,150 --> 00:11:30,570 So it was even before Tunisia. It became independent. So anyway, so I just want to point out to you that Tunisia. 111 00:11:30,570 --> 00:11:34,559 Why it's important, why women and then why the labour movement? 112 00:11:34,560 --> 00:11:42,150 Because the labour movement has been there working for um, independence, um, fighting against colonialism. 113 00:11:42,150 --> 00:11:47,460 And then with war came about coming on board, then building a country. 114 00:11:47,820 --> 00:11:51,810 Um, from 1956. And they will say, until today. 115 00:11:52,020 --> 00:11:55,380 Okay. So I've set the three pillars, if you will. 116 00:11:55,590 --> 00:12:03,299 Um, and the labour movement is very much a part of it. So, um, this is how Fahad has said, I want to show you and this photo here. 117 00:12:03,300 --> 00:12:07,740 If you see, I know it's not, but it's a bit grainy. Here he is with two women. 118 00:12:07,980 --> 00:12:12,810 We don't know who they are, but this was at a rally and he was there with them, 119 00:12:12,990 --> 00:12:17,580 and, you know, so it shows again, women were there from the very beginning. 120 00:12:18,210 --> 00:12:21,660 Uh, from 1948, um, until today. 121 00:12:22,050 --> 00:12:27,480 Then we have another one, uh, Sharif femicide, uh, 1951. 122 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:31,890 She was the first woman elected to the Executive Council of the UAE. 123 00:12:32,730 --> 00:12:38,220 And please remember her because, uh, it wasn't until 2017. 124 00:12:38,820 --> 00:12:48,780 Until the next one. Okay. Now I know, and I'll explain as to how come this this distance, if you will, from 1951, uh, with Sharif. 125 00:12:48,780 --> 00:12:54,750 I'm a Saudi who was known as a feminist revolutionary, um, and quite the active with her husband. 126 00:12:54,780 --> 00:12:57,780 They were, uh, dynamic duo. Mahmoud Massoud. 127 00:12:58,380 --> 00:13:03,350 Here she is. You see her on the right in this one photo and how reliable it had. 128 00:13:03,350 --> 00:13:09,950 So that means freedom with the. It's a hedge with the union, uh, with the unity. 129 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,410 So again, freedom and the city. Very important. 130 00:13:13,650 --> 00:13:23,910 Here she is in a meeting. You can see she's surrounded and she's standing up and she's making a point, um, to the gathering of, um, uh, group there. 131 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:28,200 So, um, so Sharif Asadi, again, very important. 132 00:13:28,500 --> 00:13:31,500 I mentioned to you, happy birthday. Happy birthday. 133 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:41,850 But we could spend hours talking about him. But he was very keen on setting a sort of a revolutionary, uh, women's rights law. 134 00:13:41,850 --> 00:13:49,440 And I must say, they were, um, you know, uh, what we say somebody in law is they were leaders in, in the region. 135 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:53,910 Absolutely. Everyone would look at and point to Tunisia and say, see, look at Tunisia. 136 00:13:54,240 --> 00:14:06,660 Um, because the laws were there. The problem is, is it was top down laws are wonderful, but they need to also become fabric, a part of the society. 137 00:14:07,050 --> 00:14:14,820 They need to become a part of the culture. They need to become a part of your every day behaviour and thinking and so on. 138 00:14:14,850 --> 00:14:18,120 Otherwise it just becomes much more difficult. 139 00:14:18,570 --> 00:14:23,280 It becomes much more difficult. And um, so he wanted women to vote. 140 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:34,140 He wanted women to legalise divorce, to have access to health care and, you know, just all kinds of things that we, uh, you know, appreciate. 141 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:42,730 Um, so advocacy very much. There was advocacy change in attitudes, challenges from 1956 until the present. 142 00:14:42,750 --> 00:14:48,930 Now, my story with the utility and particularly with the women began in 1994. 143 00:14:49,290 --> 00:14:52,320 That was my first trip, September of 1994. 144 00:14:52,950 --> 00:14:58,919 I travelled quite a bit, and that's why I always have to say thank you to my husband, because they would always ask me, by the way. 145 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:03,079 They'd say, oh, what? Uh, what's so who's taking care of your children? 146 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:07,470 And I would sort of indignantly say, well, my, that's their father, you know. 147 00:15:07,710 --> 00:15:15,780 So it's interesting because, you know, if I was a man, I don't think I'd get asked that question, but that's that's another story. 148 00:15:16,290 --> 00:15:20,730 But, um, I was there in September of 1994, my first time to Tunisia. 149 00:15:20,790 --> 00:15:26,270 By the way, we don't travel. We. Middle Eastern leaders don't travel to other Arab countries very often. 150 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:35,600 It's really kind of sad. We got, you know, um, I by the way, I'm originally from Egypt, so I'm putting my cards on the table here, so. 151 00:15:35,750 --> 00:15:39,620 So yes, it was the first time I'd ever been to Tunisia was in 1994. 152 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,399 I met with because I was coming representing the American labour movement. 153 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,180 So I had quite the sort of, uh, visit, you know, this. 154 00:15:47,180 --> 00:15:55,190 So my, my business card was visa was very important because the Tunisian labour movement very much appreciated the American labour movement, 155 00:15:55,310 --> 00:16:01,219 their role, particularly during World War two and after World War two, 156 00:16:01,220 --> 00:16:06,650 and the fight against communism because the American labour movement that was there very much focussed on that. 157 00:16:06,650 --> 00:16:10,700 So that's that's what they were very anti-communist and and so forth. 158 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:13,760 So, so let's say I came with very great introductions. 159 00:16:13,970 --> 00:16:19,490 I was with a colleague who was another woman, and we got to meet with all the leaders and so forth who were all men. 160 00:16:20,330 --> 00:16:24,290 But then they arranged for a lunch and they invited the Women's Committee. 161 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:26,030 I remember it very clearly. 162 00:16:26,210 --> 00:16:34,940 We met at a restaurant called The Shack, which, by the way, is still there, and we sat at this very long table and the women were all on one side. 163 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:40,580 I was in the middle, my colleague Kate was across from me, and the men were all on the other side. 164 00:16:41,390 --> 00:16:46,700 And conversations, you know, were happening on one side of the table quite loud and so on. 165 00:16:46,940 --> 00:16:55,219 The women were rather quiet, and they would start to whisper and whisper in my ear and say, we really need some assistance. 166 00:16:55,220 --> 00:17:05,420 We need some help. Um, and that was the beginning of my story in the sense of working with them in terms of, um, developing training programs, 167 00:17:05,420 --> 00:17:16,730 helping them be able to train others, um, and, you know, communicating and, and, and showing them various case studies and, and so on and so forth. 168 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:23,510 And it was wonderful because when I went to January of this year, I got to meet many of those who are now, 169 00:17:24,140 --> 00:17:30,020 you know, they're the ones who are teaching others, and they've been doing really a lot of great, great work. 170 00:17:30,380 --> 00:17:37,220 So I was very surprised because I was coming to Tunisia with this idea that, you know, this is a country that's had, you know, 171 00:17:37,220 --> 00:17:43,220 such great laws and such great environment and culture for women, um, in, 172 00:17:43,220 --> 00:17:47,420 in general in society, but also within the labour movement, there was mistake. 173 00:17:48,180 --> 00:17:55,440 I was mistaken. There's that state feminism again, hitting the reality on the ground the day today. 174 00:17:55,750 --> 00:17:57,629 Um, and by the way, went, uh, Tunisia. 175 00:17:57,630 --> 00:18:05,400 And I know, Kat, you know, about the, the internet, the national organisations, the women, uh, Tunisian women's organisations. 176 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:15,360 It's a very active and so on and so forth. So the labour movement plays in that field where there is a, there's a vibrant, um, civil society. 177 00:18:15,780 --> 00:18:19,920 Okay. We started working with them. 178 00:18:19,950 --> 00:18:25,799 We did a lot of work. Um, and, um, I want to point out to 2008, 179 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:33,030 just because there was a major protest in the phosphate industry in the mines in Gaza, which is in southern Tunisia. 180 00:18:33,420 --> 00:18:38,010 And the women played a very important role, even though they weren't literally in the mines, 181 00:18:38,010 --> 00:18:42,149 but they were protecting, um, their husbands, their fathers, 182 00:18:42,150 --> 00:18:47,160 their brothers, and they were definitely protecting them against the authorities who are coming, 183 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:51,630 uh, you know, to, to violently, violently put down their strike. 184 00:18:52,230 --> 00:18:56,790 Um, so I just want you to remember 2008 because again, please. 185 00:18:57,210 --> 00:19:05,940 And I know I'm in a, in a, in a, in an environment and an audience here that definitely knows that 2011 didn't just start like that, 186 00:19:06,750 --> 00:19:11,220 that there were many, many, many years of things boiling under the surface. 187 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:16,020 Um, in all of these countries, I mean, we can go country by country in the region. 188 00:19:16,380 --> 00:19:19,860 Um, that could then point to. Okay. We were just waiting. 189 00:19:19,860 --> 00:19:23,100 When was it, you know, was it going to erupt? 190 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:27,750 Um, and 20 end of 2010, 2011 was was the time. 191 00:19:27,810 --> 00:19:33,360 So 2008 was that point in Tunisia. Uh, when they had a lot of uprisings. 192 00:19:33,630 --> 00:19:40,950 So we we all know the revolution. 20 on that 2011 struggle opened a lot of opportunities and challenges. 193 00:19:41,310 --> 00:19:45,930 Um, they were organising marches and protests and and so on. 194 00:19:46,110 --> 00:19:52,200 And they were threatened, though, by a new conservative Islamist proposals. 195 00:19:53,490 --> 00:19:59,069 And that's where we see things start to get interesting, interesting and a bit difficult. 196 00:19:59,070 --> 00:20:02,370 I'm going to show you some photos. Lots of lots of photos here. 197 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:06,540 This one in particular. I think you've seen it before. This was 2012. 198 00:20:06,540 --> 00:20:15,029 This young woman actually got a prize. She was awarded a sort of a state prize because of her her courage to stand up to basically, um. 199 00:20:15,030 --> 00:20:17,160 Yes, someone with an ISIS flag. 200 00:20:17,580 --> 00:20:26,130 Um, and basically telling him off, he was he was trying to bring down the Tunisian flag and to fly, um, the, the ISIS flag. 201 00:20:27,540 --> 00:20:32,820 So, um, and then here is, um, August 2013, Tunisian Women's Day. 202 00:20:33,150 --> 00:20:39,990 Um, they organised a major, major protest. Now, why at this time, you had another. 203 00:20:39,990 --> 00:20:44,520 Another was the Islamist, uh, political party led by revolution. 204 00:20:44,970 --> 00:20:54,090 Uh, who, you know, now, after 2011 political party started to to, you know, to, to to show, to grow up, to be there on the scene. 205 00:20:54,420 --> 00:20:59,130 Uh, there were many, many of them. But the Islamists, of course, were the most and the best organised. 206 00:20:59,610 --> 00:21:08,670 Um, and they propose that in the deliberations for a new constitution that they were going to change some sections, 207 00:21:08,940 --> 00:21:13,769 um, in this Constitution that has been ever since 1956, 59, 59. 208 00:21:13,770 --> 00:21:20,220 Yeah. And, um, and one of them was that women were equal or equal to men. 209 00:21:20,430 --> 00:21:23,880 That was literally the second paragraph within the Constitution. 210 00:21:24,150 --> 00:21:31,080 The Islamists had a proposal that they were going to put complement, remove equal and put complement. 211 00:21:32,310 --> 00:21:35,790 Now you might say, well, that's not such a big deal. No, it is a big deal. 212 00:21:36,030 --> 00:21:42,840 It is a big deal. And so Tunisian women, and particularly within the labour movement, they started to organise. 213 00:21:42,930 --> 00:21:50,280 They started to organise. And of course Women's Day was a very important um, day, um, to do so. 214 00:21:50,460 --> 00:21:54,030 And um, they succeeded. They won. 215 00:21:54,390 --> 00:21:58,440 They won the fight. And today the Constitution still says equal. 216 00:21:59,430 --> 00:22:05,009 Um, I'm going to tell you more about, um, some of the sort of the themes from the interviews that I, 217 00:22:05,010 --> 00:22:11,160 that I conducted and particularly regarding the Saudi opening relitigating the Constitution. 218 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:16,770 Um, and reopening doors that had already been closed or things that are already been settled. 219 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:24,000 There was no today. I mean, that's the kind of the interesting thing to come back sort of ten years after 220 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:28,350 or more like 13 years after and to be able to sit down and sort of think, 221 00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:34,590 take a moment, take a pause and see, gosh, what did I wish I had known, you know, 222 00:22:34,590 --> 00:22:41,190 13 years ago and what I wish we had not done or what road we should not have gone down. 223 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:45,899 And that's what I was able to do, uh, with them. I'm moving along here. 224 00:22:45,900 --> 00:22:54,030 2015 the Nobel Peace Prize was actually, um, awarded to for um, civil society organisation. 225 00:22:54,030 --> 00:22:59,639 And the city was one of them because they played such an incredible role in 226 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:05,760 leading the country and basically putting the politician's feet to the fire, 227 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:10,649 if you will, in terms of, um, I mean, literally, they were in a conference room, 228 00:23:10,650 --> 00:23:14,610 they closed the door and they said, you're not leaving until there is a plan. 229 00:23:14,730 --> 00:23:17,910 There's a plan forward. Um, and. 230 00:23:17,950 --> 00:23:23,020 Order for us to reach elections. And Tunisia also, um, went about it. 231 00:23:23,860 --> 00:23:29,860 We all thought us in the political science, but oh, they're going about it the right way in the sense of, 232 00:23:30,070 --> 00:23:35,530 um, start with the framework, start with the Constitution first, and then move from that to elections. 233 00:23:35,710 --> 00:23:41,350 And then also gives you a period of time for political parties to organise for people again, 234 00:23:41,350 --> 00:23:48,219 to breathe a breath of fresh air and to sort of understand what the issues were, uh, compared, 235 00:23:48,220 --> 00:23:52,540 if you look at Egypt, for example, they literally within one year they were having elections, 236 00:23:53,080 --> 00:24:00,520 you know, and again, this, this very the speed, the speed, um, is not always advisable if you will. 237 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:10,270 So, um, so here we are. You know, Tunisia was sort of checking the boxes, if you will, about how, um, how to proceed with this type of transition. 238 00:24:11,350 --> 00:24:15,009 Okay. So that was that was a very important moment for the labour movement. 239 00:24:15,010 --> 00:24:20,379 Again, in leadership with the basically the equivalent of the Chamber of commerce, 240 00:24:20,380 --> 00:24:27,820 with business, with the um, Human Rights League and with the Lawyers Lawyers Association. 241 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:38,790 Now you're probably wondering, okay, what about and why was it from 1951 until 2017 within the labour movement, 242 00:24:38,810 --> 00:24:44,110 you think the labour movement is this progressive force, this progressive movement? 243 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:54,670 Why has it taken so long for women to have positions of leadership, even though, by the way, they represent about 55% of the membership? 244 00:24:55,150 --> 00:25:03,910 So you think, well, we can we can spend a few hours in the sense of, again, we are dealing with some conservative. 245 00:25:05,540 --> 00:25:10,070 Some rural values that are difficult to change. 246 00:25:10,430 --> 00:25:15,020 They're difficult to change. You can't I always say you can't legislate behaviour. 247 00:25:15,620 --> 00:25:18,470 You really cannot. You can. You can encourage. 248 00:25:19,100 --> 00:25:25,550 But you you know, but in terms of someone's behaviour and someone's thinking, you can't make a law and then they suddenly change. 249 00:25:26,120 --> 00:25:34,130 So um, so the women, um, went developed a campaign and they weren't they got a lot of assistance partners and struggle 250 00:25:34,370 --> 00:25:39,380 partners in decision because we're with you in the struggle we have been ever since, 251 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:44,990 you know, 1948. But we also want to be with you when you make decisions. 252 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,040 And so thanks to that campaign, which, by the way, 253 00:25:49,040 --> 00:26:00,350 was supported by several other organisations from outside of the country as well as inside, they finally got a vote to pass a 20% quota. 254 00:26:01,700 --> 00:26:06,450 Let's stop here for a moment. Quotas. Double edged sword. 255 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:17,550 You know, you can have a quota and you say, okay, but you got there because of the quota, you know, and that kind of takes away a bit of your joy. 256 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:21,930 It takes a bit away of your achievement, if you will, you know. 257 00:26:22,410 --> 00:26:27,480 And um, so, you know, some of the women were like, uh, you know, we've worked way too hard. 258 00:26:27,870 --> 00:26:31,740 Did we have to go down that road? And some would say, well, it's only temporary. 259 00:26:31,830 --> 00:26:40,500 It's just to get us into those positions. Well, we could then be role models, and then we can show that we can be good, responsible leaders. 260 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,670 And some said, you know what? Whatever way it's served, we're going to take it. 261 00:26:45,390 --> 00:26:49,950 So today there is a quota. Now, I know we've been a lot of debates. 262 00:26:49,950 --> 00:26:54,899 I know in other countries, in the United States and elsewhere about this whole issue of a quota, you know, 263 00:26:54,900 --> 00:26:59,850 and some really wish and hope that it's temporary, that it could then be removed after a certain point. 264 00:27:00,270 --> 00:27:04,230 But for now it's there and it has been implemented. 265 00:27:04,470 --> 00:27:11,730 And they are now at every level of the union leadership because unions are national. 266 00:27:12,150 --> 00:27:15,930 And then you have the individual union you have leadership within. 267 00:27:16,110 --> 00:27:21,420 And then you have on a province level, okay, where you'll have union leadership there as well. 268 00:27:21,790 --> 00:27:23,590 Okay. And there's all sort of inter. 269 00:27:23,910 --> 00:27:31,319 Um, it's actually like a little, little, little government if you look at it sort of state, county and, and municipal. 270 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:35,760 So as well as national. Um, so here we are. 271 00:27:35,790 --> 00:27:42,670 We are now at a point where, um, they are in, in these positions. 272 00:27:42,690 --> 00:27:49,530 Okay. And, um, it's, um, I'm, I'm going to share that the stories. 273 00:27:49,530 --> 00:27:56,069 I think that that would be best now to, to move on to that, because then I think it becomes more, um, more interesting. 274 00:27:56,070 --> 00:28:03,270 Let's see here because I love I love to tell stories. So I met with agricultural workers education, education. 275 00:28:03,270 --> 00:28:10,350 We're talking teachers and university professors. Oh, by the way, when I was at the airport, I was asked, you're a teacher? 276 00:28:10,410 --> 00:28:20,340 Yes, university, I said yes. That was the only question I was asked by the because by the passport control is what I did for a living was interesting. 277 00:28:20,940 --> 00:28:27,780 And also I should I should tell you a story. Um, the next day I had my first meeting was with the head of the newspaper. 278 00:28:27,870 --> 00:28:35,010 The usually has a fabulous newspaper. It's called The Shop the People, and it is sold in the kiosks in the streets. 279 00:28:35,220 --> 00:28:42,390 All right. Every Friday there's a new edition. They have a big section on football, otherwise known as soccer. 280 00:28:42,570 --> 00:28:45,690 Uh, you know, they they they have poetry. They have news. 281 00:28:45,690 --> 00:28:51,299 I mean, it's really wonderful, my friend who is with me, who I've known since 1994, 282 00:28:51,300 --> 00:28:58,020 she was one of the ladies sitting next to me, whispering in my ear, you know, today you hear she doesn't whisper anymore. 283 00:28:59,010 --> 00:29:03,030 Um, she gets a text message from a friend of hers in the security service. 284 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:06,480 She has to have friends. Okay? That's the way you operate. 285 00:29:06,510 --> 00:29:09,719 You have to have friends. And the fellow. Right? 286 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:14,460 Story says, do you have a guest, um, from Jordan with you? 287 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:19,650 And she said no. And the nice thing is you answer them yes or no, you don't. 288 00:29:20,010 --> 00:29:27,390 She said no because I'm not from Jordan. And then he goes, are you sitting in Al-Shabaab headquarters? 289 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:36,260 Yes. And then she tells me and I said, please give him my name, give him my business card. 290 00:29:36,270 --> 00:29:39,809 I mean, I have nothing to hide. Tell him everything. 291 00:29:39,810 --> 00:29:42,210 And if he wants to meet me, no problem. 292 00:29:43,050 --> 00:29:47,910 I've learned this over the years that, you know, you just do that because they used to come to these workshops, 293 00:29:47,910 --> 00:29:54,330 they being security service and, you know, they wear these black leather jackets even when it's 100 degrees outside. 294 00:29:55,650 --> 00:30:02,850 So anyway, yeah, I have fond memories, you know, in Jordan in particular, you know, I just okay, um, 295 00:30:02,850 --> 00:30:07,169 and you give them tea and coffee and you give them the packets for the materials, you know, for the workshop. 296 00:30:07,170 --> 00:30:15,120 Everything. Anyway, so, um, so after she responded and said, you know, yes, she's this so she's a professor that he said, oh, okay. 297 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:20,999 Thank you very much. And that was the end of it. And I didn't bother after that. 298 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:28,500 But anyway, medical and health workers, mining workers, social workers are very interesting because they're government employees. 299 00:30:28,860 --> 00:30:38,130 Um, the geographic area was also pretty broad in terms of Basra, which is in the North Celina Gulf, so which is in the south, Monastir and Tunis. 300 00:30:38,430 --> 00:30:40,440 So, um, different voices. 301 00:30:40,890 --> 00:30:50,010 What I did was, is I, I came up with about nine points that came as a thread or themes, if you will, from my conversations with them. 302 00:30:50,670 --> 00:30:54,510 Very first one loss of time and trust. 303 00:30:55,560 --> 00:31:04,110 It's like, yeah, why? Why did we go down that rabbit hole in terms of Relitigating reopening the Constitution? 304 00:31:04,530 --> 00:31:08,590 Okay. And it made sense at the time. You need a new constitution. 305 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:15,660 It's 2011. You know, you need to, uh, from from 1959, which the days of labour. 306 00:31:15,950 --> 00:31:27,230 But the thing is, is it all reopened? Debates on citizenship, identity, faith, women's role in society that have long been established and accepted. 307 00:31:28,540 --> 00:31:33,429 Now, when you're in the middle of it, of course you're you're participating, you're fighting your so on. 308 00:31:33,430 --> 00:31:38,770 But now, 13 years later, you can sit down and say, what did we do? 309 00:31:39,700 --> 00:31:52,090 What a waste of time. Um, and also in this relitigating, you open up wounds, you open up bad feelings and tensions and so on and so forth. 310 00:31:53,140 --> 00:31:57,220 So that was the first one. I would say every single one of them said the same thing. 311 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:03,550 Next, a positive one that the revolution actually opened doors of opportunity. 312 00:32:04,330 --> 00:32:09,250 And that included within the labour movement in the sense that today they are organising more workers, 313 00:32:09,430 --> 00:32:12,910 they are able to sort of use that as a point of departure. 314 00:32:13,330 --> 00:32:19,510 Um, so, you know, sort of that that's the sort of renewed interest, renewed excitement, hope. 315 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:23,560 Oh my goodness. We can achieve, we can do all these great things. 316 00:32:23,980 --> 00:32:27,520 Um, absolutely. 2011 was was that for them? 317 00:32:28,630 --> 00:32:33,710 Okay. Um, women were now getting new leadership positions. 318 00:32:33,730 --> 00:32:37,959 Absolutely. Um, due to the change in the structure and the bylaws. 319 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:44,170 And that's because of the quotas. Okay. So again, that was, uh, a positive. 320 00:32:44,170 --> 00:32:46,570 And, um, they appreciated that very much. 321 00:32:46,750 --> 00:32:59,410 Fourth point confirmation, um, that the women and leaders and rank and file members were involved in every minor and major protest. 322 00:32:59,590 --> 00:33:04,120 I mean, my goodness, they would give me lists of all the events they helped organise, 323 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:08,650 the things that they were, you know, marching in and the protests and so forth. 324 00:33:08,860 --> 00:33:13,330 So, you know, and they were definitely they made their presence known. 325 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:19,299 And that was confirmed over and over again. The reference to 2008 took off. 326 00:33:19,300 --> 00:33:23,650 Some was repeated several times in the sense of, please, let's not forget, 327 00:33:23,650 --> 00:33:30,730 this is where, you know, the initial step began that led to, uh, 2010, 2011. 328 00:33:31,150 --> 00:33:35,610 Okay. Societal divisions. They still exist. 329 00:33:35,940 --> 00:33:41,470 The ladies of the salon who are very active in the in the associate category. 330 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:42,990 You're nodding your head. 331 00:33:43,230 --> 00:33:50,040 You know that the ladies who are involved in the political organisation, this, this charities, the, you know, the sort of civil society and so forth. 332 00:33:51,450 --> 00:33:58,740 Women working in the labour movement or working and members of unions, different class. 333 00:34:00,130 --> 00:34:03,190 Um, and there are some bridges. 334 00:34:03,190 --> 00:34:06,580 And I did talk to some women who felt that they were a bridge. 335 00:34:07,210 --> 00:34:11,620 Um, and it kind of were more the, um, the profession like a doctor, uh, 336 00:34:11,620 --> 00:34:16,030 a doctor or a journalist or an engineer that could make that bridge, if you will. 337 00:34:16,330 --> 00:34:20,800 But as we know, those societal splits definitely do exist. 338 00:34:22,030 --> 00:34:25,210 All right. Now, even though Tunisia. 339 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:30,010 Now, by the way, I mean, I think you all know today Tunisia is not in a very good spot. 340 00:34:30,700 --> 00:34:37,390 Okay. I mean, that's why focusing on Tunisia as being sort of this great first wonderful. 341 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:43,420 And for and for several years, actually two, uh, presidential elections and so forth. 342 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:48,760 Today Tunisia has. Can I is it fair to say so, our champion president. 343 00:34:49,180 --> 00:34:52,240 Yeah. Oh, yes. Okay. All right. 344 00:34:52,540 --> 00:34:57,369 Yeah. And, um, so it's sort of like, uh, that's another reason as to why Tunisia, 345 00:34:57,370 --> 00:35:02,740 that I was very, um, for me, very important to to spend some time and focus on it. 346 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:10,560 So the interviewees, though they felt the stronger bond with their organisation, with the utility, 347 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:16,780 even though the utility, we have to be honest and frank, their leadership were dragging their feet. 348 00:35:17,500 --> 00:35:20,680 They were not always they were like, oh, you have a women's committee. 349 00:35:20,860 --> 00:35:26,020 That's perfectly fine, isn't it? You can stay and play your women's committee. 350 00:35:27,590 --> 00:35:33,020 Come on, you know. And it wasn't from 1982 when it was founded. 351 00:35:33,020 --> 00:35:38,480 It wasn't until 1991 that it actually became a constituent body within the organisation. 352 00:35:38,810 --> 00:35:43,520 All right. And then 2017 is when they finally, you know, pushed for the quota. 353 00:35:43,580 --> 00:35:46,730 And now we actually have three members of the Executive Council who. 354 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:53,840 Women. Okay. Very competent women. And by the way, women are very keen on saying don't look at me just because I'm a woman. 355 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:58,110 I'm also very competent. Okay. So they don't want this. 356 00:35:58,130 --> 00:36:02,630 Oh, you just got that job or that position because you're a woman. 357 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:12,530 And I'll give you some examples. So anyway. But despite, you know, sort of old family in the family kind of having these disgruntled moments, 358 00:36:12,590 --> 00:36:17,419 if you will, there's still a very strong bond between leaders, 359 00:36:17,420 --> 00:36:22,040 between and within the organisation itself, just because it's fighting a bigger fight, 360 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:27,050 and particularly the economic situation of Tunisia today is very difficult. 361 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:33,440 Um, as well as the political okay, so it's important to kind of maintain, um, a united front. 362 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:38,510 Uh, the quota system, pretty much everyone I talked to at least thought it was okay. 363 00:36:38,810 --> 00:36:46,100 And today the utility, very sadly, is a target of the government's ire and retaliation. 364 00:36:46,430 --> 00:36:49,670 If you have noticed, in the last two years, there have been arrests. 365 00:36:49,850 --> 00:36:59,090 Imprisonments. Um, my goodness. They even arrested a European Trade Union leader who came from the see the European Union Confederation. 366 00:36:59,270 --> 00:37:07,640 We have a lot of acronyms in the labour movement, but, um, she came to lend support, if you will, and sort of give a speech next day. 367 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:15,080 She was told she had to leave the country. Which actually touchwood is is a good thing because you know otherwise. 368 00:37:15,260 --> 00:37:18,650 Otherwise. Right. So anyways. So yeah, she packed her bags and left. 369 00:37:19,220 --> 00:37:24,860 So they have become now more of a target. Which by the way, they laugh and say, huh? 370 00:37:25,130 --> 00:37:32,900 We know we've been in that position before in the sense that they've been, you know, in that ever since during whatever, during Ben Ali. 371 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:39,739 And here they are today. All right. I'm going to tell you about, um, 5 or 6 women versus Monia. 372 00:37:39,740 --> 00:37:44,450 I'm sorry, I'm not going to give you last names, but, um, just to to protect them. 373 00:37:44,750 --> 00:37:49,819 Monia is a teacher. She's an English teacher. She started out, though, 374 00:37:49,820 --> 00:37:59,060 in university because university in the 70s and the 80s was definitely a place where you became very active protests for justice and civil rights. 375 00:37:59,270 --> 00:38:07,340 So for her, it was a clear choice once she graduated to join the university and continue in that struggle and activism, 376 00:38:07,490 --> 00:38:11,149 she's going to be retiring, uh, in a in two months. 377 00:38:11,150 --> 00:38:14,420 And, um, we talked about life after retirement. 378 00:38:14,420 --> 00:38:18,440 So she's going to be busy. Uh, and Munya is from Basia. 379 00:38:18,620 --> 00:38:25,940 Basia. And she, she wrote a wonderful report, actually, about women's activism within, within the labour movement that she shared with me. 380 00:38:26,240 --> 00:38:30,200 Nala. Nala worked works for the Union of Social Workers. 381 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:38,750 She's a regional trainer. She is now an assistant secretary general of the provincial um utility of an area called Monastir. 382 00:38:39,260 --> 00:38:41,120 She's a member of the women's committee. 383 00:38:41,540 --> 00:38:50,810 It's it's very interesting because social workers, she gets to deal with and hear a lot of stories of marginalised people and difficult situations. 384 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:55,640 So she's very used to that. Um, she's been elected now for a second term. 385 00:38:55,850 --> 00:39:03,259 She's single, divorced and a mom of one daughter, and she told me some wonderful stories about what her daughter has been doing. 386 00:39:03,260 --> 00:39:09,919 And, um, because, you know, daughter came with her to, with, uh, you know, at all the protests and, um, and so forth. 387 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:16,610 So that's Nala. Najwa. Now, she was with the doctors union, health care and Tunis, the province and the city. 388 00:39:17,090 --> 00:39:25,460 Uh, again, she's the one who was spent quite a bit of time talking about how reopening and relitigating the Constitution was such a waste of time. 389 00:39:25,790 --> 00:39:31,010 She did spend, though, uh uh, while talking about the apathy that has since developed. 390 00:39:31,310 --> 00:39:35,090 We're talking about today because remember, we were reminiscing, all right. 391 00:39:35,090 --> 00:39:41,630 But we were also talking about today. Today either, you know, being January, February, March, April, now of this year. 392 00:39:42,050 --> 00:39:49,760 Um, people are exhausted, they're tired, they're hungry, they're unemployed and going to protest. 393 00:39:50,330 --> 00:39:55,820 They're not really seeing that. That's very useful and a feeling that it really doesn't matter anymore. 394 00:39:56,300 --> 00:40:04,340 Um, in terms of real change. But she said she would go to the meetings of the, uh, the union, uh, leadership. 395 00:40:04,580 --> 00:40:11,360 They would hold them in sometimes in bars. Yes, they have bars, or they would hold them in cafes. 396 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:17,510 Where. And I know this, by the way, cafes, they're, um, mostly men, um, mostly men. 397 00:40:17,810 --> 00:40:24,920 And, um, she would go. She would go and make them feel very embarrassed to share this, this wonderful photo. 398 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:29,440 This is the usually it is flag, by the way. Very much in the middle of it. 399 00:40:29,460 --> 00:40:34,590 The Bayes net zero university professor, and she's from the town of Gaza. 400 00:40:34,830 --> 00:40:42,660 I spent, I think, the most time with her. She had a lot to talk about from 2008 and the mining phosphate mining strikes there. 401 00:40:42,900 --> 00:40:49,200 And, um, she's the one who said that the very first time she had to go to a meeting, and she was so excited. 402 00:40:49,410 --> 00:40:56,280 She goes to this cafe, it was all men. She sits down and the men all look at her, and it's sort of like, what are you doing here? 403 00:40:56,580 --> 00:41:04,080 And she said, I belong. I'm a member. And I think it was so embarrassed again, because of the environment, the milieu, you know, 404 00:41:04,380 --> 00:41:10,440 that she said that the next meeting was held at the usual headquarters because they just they couldn't handle it. 405 00:41:10,650 --> 00:41:16,710 They couldn't handle that a woman was sitting with them at this sort of male only, um, venue. 406 00:41:17,070 --> 00:41:23,460 So, um, so anyway, she's, she's quite the, quite that this is, um, a bit from the fabulous photo. 407 00:41:23,470 --> 00:41:27,810 Actually, this is from the New York Times. Um, excellent article about the women. 408 00:41:28,260 --> 00:41:37,230 They basically formed a barricade to, um, prevent the security forces from from shutting down, um, the phosphate industry. 409 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:42,000 Uh, by the way, phosphate industries are very dirty business. I mean, it it infects the water. 410 00:41:42,210 --> 00:41:48,780 It's very polluting. It's a it's a really and this is an area that was, um, very much, very much neglected. 411 00:41:49,140 --> 00:41:56,430 Um, we talked quite a bit about the dual jobs, the job at work, the job at home, um, and having to, um, 412 00:41:56,430 --> 00:42:03,660 to keep up with both and sort of the very masculine culture that exists in Gaza in particular, um, and then society. 413 00:42:03,810 --> 00:42:11,280 But she had a lovely statement. She said, if we feminised trade union work, we can make it more efficient and more beautiful. 414 00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:19,799 It just, um, I know maybe it sounded better in Arabic, but, um, but in the sense that, you know, sort of women's participation, 415 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:27,540 women's presence can make something actually more efficient because we know how to get things done as well as make it more beautiful. 416 00:42:28,830 --> 00:42:31,890 I'll. I'll leave that to you. Let me know what you think. 417 00:42:32,850 --> 00:42:35,790 Um, Nadia. Nadia was, uh, the last, um. 418 00:42:35,790 --> 00:42:44,500 And she's in the agricultural sector again, opening up a lot of opportunities to organise to bring in these women that generally worked. 419 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:48,120 These are women who do not read or write. Many, actually. 420 00:42:48,450 --> 00:42:51,960 Uh, they work out. They have long hours. They work in the fields. 421 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:55,550 They're picking olives. Olives. Very. 422 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:58,590 By the way, I mean, Tunisia is one of the largest, right? 423 00:42:58,890 --> 00:43:02,280 Um, uh, oil, uh, olive oil producers. Yes. 424 00:43:03,310 --> 00:43:07,090 But she's now Nadia now is a member of the national union's executive committee. 425 00:43:07,240 --> 00:43:09,760 I have some wonderful photos from her. Um, where? 426 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:17,860 She's going to their places of work to talk to the women, to tell them about their rights, to tell them about joining the union. 427 00:43:18,070 --> 00:43:21,440 Look at this truck. It's a pickup truck. I don't know if they call you. 428 00:43:21,490 --> 00:43:26,550 Call them pickup trucks in the UK, too? Yes. Um, but that's how they would transport them. 429 00:43:26,560 --> 00:43:31,120 They would wait in the morning, early morning, and women would, would, would pile into these pickup trucks. 430 00:43:31,240 --> 00:43:34,720 Not safe in terms of, um, modes of travel. 431 00:43:35,380 --> 00:43:38,500 This is a it's the little fella. 432 00:43:38,590 --> 00:43:42,190 It's the little. We'll see the two tops. They are without any coverage. 433 00:43:42,190 --> 00:43:46,540 They didn't have Social Security coverage, i.e. health care. 434 00:43:46,870 --> 00:43:51,170 Um, they're being taken advantage of here. 435 00:43:51,310 --> 00:43:55,210 Beautiful. The the the agricultural worker. 436 00:43:55,600 --> 00:44:05,710 This is all lives right here. And I have other photos that show a lot of injury on her hands picking, uh, and working in in the in the fields. 437 00:44:06,070 --> 00:44:13,420 Yes. There's one here in the in the middle. Um, and to recognise that this is a profession, this is a job. 438 00:44:13,420 --> 00:44:16,780 A work that needs to be covered and taken care of. 439 00:44:17,020 --> 00:44:21,819 Where is the social coverage? Meaning the social protection. 440 00:44:21,820 --> 00:44:30,160 Meaning health care for these women? There are there are, of course, there's a lot of other agricultural pursuits in Tunisia. 441 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:34,180 This is a wonderful photo. She's holding her first her union card. 442 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:39,730 I don't know if those of you who know that when you belong to a union, you have a card. 443 00:44:40,570 --> 00:44:47,830 Uh, and it is a very proud thing to to have when you're a member of something bigger than yourself, of a collective. 444 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:53,020 Well, all of you together are working to improve your conditions of work. 445 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:57,780 Okay, I know this is. This is the card up close. 446 00:44:59,880 --> 00:45:04,560 Okay, here we go. This is another one. These are olive olive trees right there. 447 00:45:05,720 --> 00:45:10,660 This is one of my favourites. I think you've seen this before because I used to rule the 8th of March. 448 00:45:10,670 --> 00:45:17,410 Yes. Um, just because, you know, she's, you know, looking down a little bit, a little bit embarrassed. 449 00:45:17,420 --> 00:45:23,899 This is a workshop that they had. You notice there's no paper on the desks because, you know, we're talking, we're talking. 450 00:45:23,900 --> 00:45:27,200 We're we're working with them. We're telling they're telling us stories. 451 00:45:27,200 --> 00:45:32,780 We're telling them stories. But, um. But anyway, these are absolutely lovely. 452 00:45:33,290 --> 00:45:36,550 Okay. Some concluding remarks. All right. 453 00:45:36,590 --> 00:45:43,080 Tunisia in itself, the nature of the country, its people, its history, its aversion to violence. 454 00:45:43,100 --> 00:45:52,340 Actually, our colleague Michael Willis has written quite a bit, um, about this, um, aspect in the sense of their attachment to legal processes. 455 00:45:52,610 --> 00:45:58,580 Right. Very important. And it explains their success, if you will, in terms of civil resistance. 456 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:02,839 And I love this quote. I've heard it too. I know Michael's heard it as well. 457 00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:06,950 We had the revolution on Friday. We went back to work on Monday. 458 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:19,550 So, um, top down feminist policies this we can have a long discussion in terms of the clash with conservative religious cultural values, 459 00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:27,889 the backlash, something top down versus organic coming from the bottom up and maybe meeting the top down. 460 00:46:27,890 --> 00:46:29,390 So you kind of need both. 461 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:40,340 But it's a long road, a long road, and it's come back to haunt, if you will, the progressive movement, um, particularly starting in 2011 to 2014, 462 00:46:41,060 --> 00:46:49,400 um, women have been participating in every possible organisation, but particularly in the city, particularly in the labour movement. 463 00:46:49,610 --> 00:46:53,120 They've been doing that ever since it was founded in 1948. 464 00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:58,370 And they will keep dissipating. They're a little tired. They're a little exhausted. 465 00:46:58,370 --> 00:47:03,860 Maybe they need a respite, they need a rest. And they we had that when we sat together. 466 00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:11,320 Um, but they're ready. They're ready to go back to work. Because today I think Tunisia, more than anything they said this to that. 467 00:47:11,330 --> 00:47:15,950 They need to have an active, robust civil society. 468 00:47:15,950 --> 00:47:20,870 And the labour movement, 1 million members strong is very much a part of that. 469 00:47:21,020 --> 00:47:24,460 It plays a political role. They're not shy from telling you that they. 470 00:47:24,470 --> 00:47:28,520 Yes. Yes, they play a political role. 471 00:47:28,820 --> 00:47:34,190 They absolutely do. Because, you know, a lot of times unions will say, oh, no, no, you know, we we kind of stay away from politics. 472 00:47:34,250 --> 00:47:38,540 Oh no, no, no. That will they're they're in the middle because it's very important. 473 00:47:38,990 --> 00:47:44,930 They got a Nobel Prize for peace for playing a very important political role, actually. 474 00:47:45,350 --> 00:47:53,060 Um, we can also argue maybe also, the UK has been a member of international labour organisations for decades. 475 00:47:53,510 --> 00:48:00,110 That pressure of being members of international organisations where we talk about, you know, 476 00:48:00,110 --> 00:48:05,750 women's participation, whether it's at the ILO, the International Labour Organisation or the others. 477 00:48:06,050 --> 00:48:08,570 That's a very interesting angle to look at. 478 00:48:08,990 --> 00:48:15,680 Uh, you know, because a lot of times in the labour movement, we tend to be very little club ish in the sense of, 479 00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:19,130 oh, if you don't fit all the criteria, we don't you can't be a member. 480 00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:24,440 But maybe, say, our members, we can put pressure on them on some of these organisations. 481 00:48:24,650 --> 00:48:31,910 I guess we can take it case by case. But the Tunisians very much vouch they value being a part of the international community. 482 00:48:32,300 --> 00:48:39,530 Um, and when the ILO comes out and says this is the year for women, labour, more trade union members, 483 00:48:39,530 --> 00:48:46,099 they want to participate and they want to and they have to show what, um, you know, what they have. 484 00:48:46,100 --> 00:48:50,180 So there's some added pressure there. And the quota, of course. Well, the jury's still out. 485 00:48:50,420 --> 00:48:57,200 Many of the women said, you know, in terms of its success, the jury's still out because it's only been a few years. 486 00:48:57,200 --> 00:49:01,910 And, um, we shall see. But so far, positive. 487 00:49:02,330 --> 00:49:06,590 And let's make the best out of it. It's sort of the the the attitude. 488 00:49:07,190 --> 00:49:12,290 So, um, thank you very much for joining me. 489 00:49:18,470 --> 00:49:18,770 Thank.