DEMOCRATIC WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (TUNISIA)

Tunisian organization promoting women's rights.

Formally created in 1989, the Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates (ATFD) is an autonomous activist women's organization dedicated to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, the transformation of patriarchal attitudes, the defense of women's acquired rights, and the participation of women in all aspects of political and civil rights. Based in Tunis, the ATFD is comprised of approximately 200 volunteer members, the majority of whom are educated and professional women in their thirties and forties. Like those involved in the broader human rights movement, both the organization and individual activists continue to face significant opposition to their activities.

On International Women's Day 1993, the ATFD opened the first domestic violence center in Tunisia, staffing both a listening center and a hotline. To provide women with a safe environment to discuss their situations, the ATFD center is dedicated to validation, confidentiality, resource referral, and empowerment. The ATFD also works with other Tunisian and international organizations, both governmental and nongovernmental, to increase awareness of domestic violence and provide services to a larger sector of the population. Finally, the ATFD works on improving the legal status of women and sponsoring educational campaigns dedicated to women's rights in Tunisia.

See also Gender: Gender and the Law; Human Rights.

angel m. foster