Before exploring a new country, its natural to have a general understanding or view of the culture and society; however, these preconceptions are often proven wrong. For example, many may continue to associate Tunisia with the oppression its people faced during the past authoritarian regimes of Bourguiba and Ben Ali. While this suppression of freedoms certainly existed prior to the so-called Arab Spring, everyone today enjoys these rights.
The political landscape in Tunisia since its independence from France in 1956 is unfortunately marked with authoritarianism. Habib Bourguiba took immediate control of the country until Zine El Abidine Ben Ali staged a bloodless coup in 1987. Ben Ali led the country in a manner that showed no respect or compassion for those he was supposed to be the ultimate protector of. Any rebellious activity was immediately quelled until Mohamed Bouazizi committed a striking act of self-immolation in protest of the government’s power in December 2010. This event is retroactively cited as the “spark” that lit the fire of the revolution in Tunisia. People all across Tunisia could sympathize with the extraordinary desperation that Bouazizi must have felt to take his own life in such an extreme manner. The Tunisian uprising was the first of the widespread protests throughout the North African and Arab world referred to today as the “Arab Spring.”
The protests continued until the pressure was too high for Ben Ali to stay. He fled Tunisia for Saudi Arabia on January 14, 2011, at that very moment, everybody across the country suddenly stood on an equal platform to speak. All of their stifled whispers under the Ben Ali regime turned to revolutionary shouts for all of the fundamental rights they were previously denied. Civil society rapidly swelled as hundreds of organizations and political parties were formed to protect and advocate for causes that never would have been tolerated under Ben Ali. These organizations brought many issues to light that were previously unknown or blatantly ignored by the old government.
Freedom to express opinion without fear of official retaliation is easily taken for granted in countries where the citizens have always enjoyed that right. In such a post-revolutionary context, many people love to speak up and have their voice heard. One group that is very vocal on the national stage is women. Last week, a local group organized a feminist and LGBTQ rights arts festival in downtown Tunis called Chouftouhounna. This festival brought speakers from across the country and the world to talk about women’s rights. It also showcased art, films, and dances celebrating the cause. There is certainly still progress to be made, but this festival, hosted in the middle of the old médina, shows that any remaining embers of oppression will be quickly extinguished.