Tunis - Femmedina Final Municipal Exchange

How can municipal engagement result in more inclusive medinas in Tunisia?

The final exchange event of Femmedina Penser la Medina pour les femmes, l'aménager pour tous, addresses this question by providing a space for municipalities to exchange, learn new approaches to urban development and discuss the integration of gender in urban governance.

The exchange consists of two panels. The first one will present the results and testimonies of civil society actors, municipal representatives and women engaged in the Inclusive City Programme Femmedina. After 18 months of participatory assessment and co-designing of inclusive public spaces, the Medina of Tunis is now more inclusive and attentive to the needs of women. Training centres, green spaces and market stalls offer greater opportunities to the women of the Medina of Tunis.

The second panel brings together the knowledge, challenges and current efforts and experiences of local authorities to empower women and engage them as equal actors in the public space and urban development processes. This interactive panel discussion includes experiences of the municipalities of Kairouan and Sousse, as well as of the Association de Sauvegarde de la Médina, the Fédération Nationale des Communes Tunisiennes and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC).

Inauguration of inclusive public spaces

Following the panel discussions, the mayor of Tunis,  Souad Abderrahim, and the director of USAID in Tunisia Scott Dobberstein will inaugurate two additional public spaces within the framework of the project:

• Green Escape: The Parc Passage in the district of Bab Bhar is now more inviting to women. Additional children's playgrounds, a public library and women-dedicated space for recreation encourage women to spend more time in the park. 
• Training centre: This new training centre in the district of Bab Souika allows women to pursue computer literacy workshops and other capacity-building activities. Two other training centres have been designed within the scope of the project.

Speakers:

• Souad Abderrahim, Mayor of Tunis
• Scott Dobberstein, USAID Mission Director
• Giulia Maci, Cities Alliance
• Ikbel Dridi, Cities Alliance
• Imen Zouhouani Houimel, Minister for Women, Family and the Elderly
• Hatem Bendekim, Chair of the steering committee of Femmedina, Municipality of Tunis
• Henda Abbes, District president Sidi Béchir, Municipality of Tunis
• Narjess Riahi, Director of the Department of Urban Planning and Development, Tunis
• Leila Ben Gacem, Bluefish 
• Imen Ouardani, First Vice Mayor Municipality of Sousse
• Moez Ghozzi, Deputy Director of Planning and Urban Affairs Municipality of Kairouan
• Sadika Ghouma, Architect, Association de Sauvegarde de la Médina de Tunis
• Souad Sassi, Head of International Cooperation, Municipality of Tunis
• Wiem Pousse-Ben Mustapha, Executive Director Fédération Nationale des Communes Tunisiennes
• Karima Kefi, Deputy Director for Economic and Labor Affairs, Swiss Cooperation Office in Tunis 

Moderators:

• Wided Daikhi, Chair of the Committee on Women, Families and the Elderly, Municipality of Tunis
• Amel Meddeb, District President La Médina, Municipality of Tunis
• Amel Bouzaiene, Commission on Employment and Development, Municipality of Tunis