WOMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS IN TUNISIA TODAY In the early years after independence, women’s associations were few and tightly controlled. There was only the General Union of Tunisian Women (UNFT) officially created by the President. In 1989, Ben Ali allowed two autonomous women’s Organizations, AFTURD and ATFD to receive legal recognition, but severely restricted their activities. After the Arab Spring, the number of women’s organizations exploded to as many as 300, specializing in different activities. They approach taboo topics like sexual harassment at home, in the street, or at the workplace. Despite the gains achieved before and after the Arab Spring, Tunisian women have not realized the equality they had been striving for. The appointment of a woman, Najla Bouden as Prime Minister (11 October 2021-1 August 2023), a first in the history of the country, did not add anything to women’s rights. Women made no gains following that nomination. Indeed, there has been a drastic decline in the number of women parliamentarians, representing about 16% in the newly elected Parliament, against 26% and 31% in 2014 and 2018. Women’s associations today continue to work on women’s issues, however. The theme of violence against women (VAW) has been a particular focus. Before the Arab Spring, men and women could be arrested for wearing a hijab, but after the Arab Spring, women and men could be arrested for being in the company of foreigners. All of these women’s organizations have been asking for recognition of their human rights as a principle, to equality, to freedom of choice, to protection against violence in public places, at home, and in the workplace. More recently, at least since 2023, human rights activists and politicians have been arrested or threatened with being arrested. LGBT people can also be arrested but, even though homosexuality remains illegal, the number of LGBT organizations has increased: DAMJ (2002), MAWJOUDIN (2014), CHOUF that registered abroad in 2012 and became Tunisian in 2015. Meanwhile, AFTURD and ATFD have continued to work, enlarging their activities by joining other organizations like recently the Associative National Coalition of Struggle Against Violence Against Women (CNAV), Every Woman Treaty, and EuroMed Rights.