Tunisia: Street Art to Raise Awareness of Violence Against Women

As part of our project Gender Mainstreaming in Local Policies in Beja and Medenine, implemented by Aswat Nissa in Tunisia, on 13 March, the city of Médenine is opening a street that has been transformed by young local artists to raise awareness of gender violence through street art. The street will be officially named after Law 58, on the elimination of violence against women.

Law 58 on the elimination of violence against women in Tunisia came into effect in February 2018. This law provides new protection mechanisms to provide victims with access to necessary services, such as legal, medical, and mental health support.

Although Tunisia has made progress in its commitment to the guiding principle of the 2030 agenda “Leave No One Behind”, and more precisely towards gender equality, the implementation of law 58 on the ground is not without challenges.

Cities can play a crucial role to reduce gender-based violence by providing women with greater opportunities to cope with it more effectively in relation to tolerance, access to economic resources and institutional support.

However, violence is the result of existing gender inequality in urban areas, multiplied and exacerbated by the pandemic, and in particular in metropolitan spaces, where urban inequality is more evident, as highlighted in a recent awareness-raising initiative from Cities Alliance, Metropolis and UCLG.

The artistic intervention in Médenine aims at raising awareness, engaging citizens in the fight against gender violence, and highlighting the role played by cities in implementing the law 58. The street is located in the city centre, in the boulevard, Habib Bourguiba near the police station of the national guard specialized in the reception of women and children victims of violence.

Public spaces in Tunisia have been instrumental in providing avenues for women to be equal participants in the cultural and political transformation of their country and communities. In this sense, looking at public space through a gender lens allows for greater insight into how half of the world's population participates in community and cultural life.

The launch event will include:

• Inauguration of Rue Loi 58;

• An awareness-raising campaign to tackle violence towards girls and women and to popularize Law 58 on the elimination of violence against women;

• An exhibition of handicrafts created by local artisans; 

• A musical performance created by local youth