Editing Politics of Tunisia (section)

==Politics and society==
{{see also|History of modern Tunisia}}

===Women's equality===

The now-defunct Chamber of Deputies had 23% women members in 2009, outpacing the [[Women in government|percentage of women]] serving at the time in the [[U.S. Congress]], which stood at 17% in the [[111th Congress]]. More than one-fifth of the seats in both chambers of parliament were held by women, an exceptionally high level in the Arab world.<ref name="IPU">{{cite web | url=http://www.ipu.org/parline/reports/2321_E.htm | title=Tunisia: Majlis Al-Nuwab (Chamber of Deputies)-October 2009 | publisher=[[Inter-Parliamentary Union]] | access-date=August 14, 2015}}</ref>

Tunisia is the only country in the Arab world where [[polygamy is forbidden by law]]. This is part of a provision in the country's [[Code of Personal Status (Tunisia)|Code of Personal Status]] which was introduced by [[President Bourguiba]] in 1956.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.resetdoc.org/story/00000001317 | title=Polygamy and Family Law | publisher=Association Reset-Dialogues on Civilizations| work=[[Reset Doc]]| date=April 17, 2009 | access-date=August 14, 2015 | author=Donini, Valentina M.}}</ref><ref>[http://www.resetdoc.org/story/00000001317 "Polygamy and Family Law"], Valentina M. Donini, Friday, 17 April 2009</ref>

===Revolution===
====Ben Ali regime====
President [[Zine El Abidine Ben Ali]] was criticized for the low levels of democracy and freedom of expression in the country by [[Amnesty International]] and various other organizations.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20091018051147/World%20media%20comment%20on%20President%20Ben%20Ali's%20electoral%20speech%20/ | title=World Media Comment on President Ben Ali's Speech | work=[[Zawya]] | date=October 16, 2009 | agency=[[Agence Tunis Afrique Presse]] | access-date=August 14, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017111029/http://www.zawya.com/story/ZAWYA20091018051147/ | archive-date=October 17, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE30/017/2010/en "Tunisia: Open Letter, Strong Concern..."] [[Amnesty International]], 2010</ref> which documented restrictions of basic human rights and obstruction of human rights organizations. ''[[The Economist]]'''s 2008 [[Democracy Index]] ranked Tunisia 141 out of 167 countries studied and 143 out of 173 regarding freedom of the press.<ref>[http://graphics.eiu.com/PDF/Democracy%20Index%202008.pdf "The Economist Intelligence Unit's Index of Democracy 2008"] ''[[The Economist]]'', 2008</ref> Later in his rule repression became more brutal, corruption more visible and the economy more stagnant.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gasiorowski|first1=Mark|title=The Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa|date=2017|publisher=Westview Press|isbn=9780813350363|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JIS0CwAAQBAJ&q=Ben+Ali+more+brutal+and+more+more+corrupt&pg=PT333|access-date=20 October 2016}}</ref>

====2010–2011 revolution====
{{main|Tunisian Revolution}}

The Tunisian Revolution overthrew President Ben Ali in 2011—marking the beginning of the [[Arab Spring]].

On 14 January 2011, president [[Zine El Abidine Ben Ali]] officially resigned after fleeing to [[Saudi Arabia]], ending 23 years in power,<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|author=Davies, Wyre |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12195025 |title=Tunisia: President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali forced out |work=BBC News |date=15 December 2010 |access-date=14 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/01/16/18669320.php |title=Uprising in Tunisia: People Power topples Ben Ali regime |publisher=Indybay |date=16 January 2011 |access-date=26 January 2011}}</ref> following the most dramatic wave of social and political unrest in Tunisia in three decades.<ref name="protestwave">{{cite web |url=http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/01/02/tunisia_s_protest_wave_where_it_comes_from_and_what_it_means_for_ben_ali |title=Tunisia's Protest Wave: Where It Comes From and What It Means for Ben Ali &#124; The Middle East Channel |publisher=Mideast.foreignpolicy.com |date=3 January 2011 |access-date=14 January 2011 |archive-date=15 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115211351/http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/01/02/tunisia_s_protest_wave_where_it_comes_from_and_what_it_means_for_ben_ali |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|author=Borger, Julian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/29/tunisian-president-vows-punish-rioters|title=Tunisian president vows to punish rioters after worst unrest in a decade|date=29 December 2010|work=The Guardian |location=UK|access-date=29 December 2010}}</ref> Street protests and civil disobedience<ref name="ahram_mebazaa_prez">[http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContent/2/8/3945/World/Region/Breaking-News-Tunisian-parliamentary-speaker-becom.aspx Tunisian parliamentary speaker becomes acting president: officials] [[Ahramonline]] 2011-01-15</ref><ref name="aljaz_mebazaa">{{cite news | title=Tunisia swears in interim leader  | date=2011-01-15 | publisher=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|al Jazeera]] | url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/201111513513854222.html |access-date=2011-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110118211951/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/201111513513854222.html |archive-date=2011-01-18 |url-status=live }}</ref> against high [[unemployment]], food [[inflation]], [[corruption]],<ref>{{cite web|title=A Snapshot of Corruption in Tunisia|url=http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/middle-east-north-africa/tunisia/snapshot.aspx|publisher=Business Anti-Corruption Portal|access-date=7 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807082724/http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/middle-east-north-africa/tunisia/snapshot.aspx|archive-date=7 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Spencer |first=Richard |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/8258077/Tunisia-riots-US-warns-Middle-East-to-reform-or-be-overthrown.html |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171010045358/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/8258077/Tunisia-riots-Reform-or-be-overthrown-US-tells-Arab-states-amid-fresh-riots.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 October 2017 |title=Tunisia riots: Reform or be overthrown, US tells Arab states amid fresh riots |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=13 January 2011|access-date=14 January 2011 |location=London}}</ref> a lack of [[political freedom]]s like [[freedom of speech]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Ryan|first=Yasmine |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/01/20111614145839362.html |title=Tunisia's bitter cyberwar |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=14 January 2011}}</ref> and poor [[living conditions]], were sparked by the [[self-immolation]] of [[Mohamed Bouazizi]] on 17 December 2010.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12120228 Tunisia suicide protester Mohammed Bouazizi dies], BBC, 5 January 2011.</ref><ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/world/africa/22sidi.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&src=twrhp|author=Fahim, Kareem|title=Slap to a Man's Pride Set Off Tumult in Tunisia|work=The New York Times|date=21 January 2011|page=2|access-date=23 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="nytimes2">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/weekinreview/23worth.html?src=twrhp|title=How a Single Match Can Ignite a Revolution|author=Worth, Robert F.|work=The New York Times|date=21 January 2011|access-date=26 January 2011}}</ref>

A [[Constituent Assembly of Tunisia|Constituent Assembly]] was elected on 23 October 2011, and a new constitution was adopted on 26 January 2014. It was passed on 10 February 2014.<ref>[http://www.lalibre.be/actu/international/tunisie-la-nouvelle-constitution-entre-en-vigueur-52f937da3570c16bb1ca45b2 « Tunisie : la nouvelle Constitution entre en vigueur », ''La Libre Belgique'', February 10 2014].</ref>

===Media===

Under the Ben Ali regime, freedom of the press was officially guaranteed, but the press was highly restricted, as was a substantial amount of web content. Journalists were often obstructed from reporting on controversial events.<ref>[http://opennet.net/research/profiles/tunisia "Profile on Tunisian Media"], [[Open Net Initiative]], 2009</ref> Prior to the [[Tunisian revolution|Jasmine Revolution]], Tunisia practiced internet censorship against popular websites such as [[YouTube]]. In 2010 [[Reporters Without Borders]] included Tunisia in the country list of “Enemies of the Internet".<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2010/04/reporters-without-borders-issues-enemies-of-the-internet-list095.html "RWB Issues Enemies of the Internet List"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113144244/http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2010/04/reporters-without-borders-issues-enemies-of-the-internet-list095.html |date=2012-11-13 }} PBS, 2010</ref> Despite this, Tunisia hosted the second half of the [[United Nations]]-sponsored [[World Summit on the Information Society]] in 2005,<ref>[http://www.itu.int/wsis/tunis/index.html "Second Phase of WSIS: Tunisia 2005"] WSIS, 2005</ref> which endorsed the freedom of the internet as a platform for political participation and human rights protection. By 2010, Tunisia had more than 3.5 million regular internet users and 1.6 million [[Facebook]] users<ref>[http://www.spotonpr.com/tag/tunisia/ Facebook bigger than newspapers? So what?], Spot On, May 25th, 2010.</ref> and hundreds of internet cafes, known as 'publinet.'

Five private radio stations have been established, including [[Mosaique FM]], [[Express FM]], [[Shems FM]]<ref>[http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/10/05/feature-02 "Shems FM hits Tunisia airwaves"] Houda Trabelsi, October 5, 2010</ref> and private television stations such as [[Hannibal-TV|Hannibal TV]] and [[Nessma TV]].<ref>[http://www.tunispro.net/tunisia/tv-in-tunisia.htm "Television TV in Tunisia"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030143827/http://www.tunispro.net/tunisia/tv-in-tunisia.htm |date=2012-10-30 }} TunisPro</ref>