One of the major sources of pride of the New Era consists in the special care, the high status and the renewed confidence offered by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to women.

Indeed, never before had Tunisian women been in a better situation or in a higher status.

Equal chances and opportunities are now offered to men and women in all fields. Their roles have become complementary in all positions of work and responsibility. For indeed, the conditions of society can be set right only if the conditions of women are tackled. Besides, the process of reform and modernization can be enhanced only when women are an essential element in its stimulation and consolidation. Moreover, development can be equitable and comprehensive only if both men and women share its efforts and fruits.

Considering that reluctance to adopt a clear and audacious approach to women's status still constitutes a major obstacle impeding the progress of several societies in the world, Tunisian women deserve to be proud of the fact that they have transcended the stage of liberation and the claiming of rights, and have attained the stage of full-fledged partnership with men in the management of the affairs of the family and of society, in political action which is an integral part of the rights of citizenship, and in commitment to serving the public interest, especially in light of the prospects offered to them by the New Era to participate in the Chamber of Deputies, in municipal councils and in regional councils.

Tunisian women have, in fact, been offered a coherent system of rights, measures and initiatives that has consolidated their presence in all fields and placed them in a higher status within our society, a status that many international experts consider an excellent example worth following in various regions of the world.

While it represents for Tunisian women a source of pride and honor, this prestigious status invests them with further duties and responsibilities, as they are always required to prove that they deserve this honor and all the decisions and encouragements offered to them by the President of the Republic, to improve their conditions and reinforce their integration within the dynamics of development.

The status of women is essentially measured by their constant awareness and competence in all the functions, positions and responsibilities with which they are entrusted.

Therefore, Tunisian women should always be a constructive element and a force of generosity, at home, in the public service, in factories, in fields, as well as in the associative fabric and the components of civil society. They should contribute, with their intelligence, knowledge and creative and innovative skills, to stimulating the process of development in its various educational, pedagogical, cultural, social, health and economic sectors. They should also hold, with their high performance and efficient work, advanced leadership positions.

Address by Mrs Leïla Ben Ali
at the closing of the electoral campaign
Le Kram, October 22nd, 2004