< BACK TO MAIN MAP
< BACK TO COUNTRY MAP
5. W omen’s civic and political participation Driving change to ensure that women play a full role in the democratic process is a significant part of EED’s work and a cross-cutting issue that is taken into account across all initiatives. EED is strongly committed to developing gender equality in democracybuilding and sponsors a large number of organisations that address women’s issues. OVERVIEW OF EED APPROACH
EED SUPPORT IN 2019
EED funds organisations, activists, and female leaders to advance political participation of women, empower women in demo cr at ic de cision - mak ing , t ackle discrimination, and raise awareness of issues such as exploitation and violence against women. Around one quarter of all EED-funded initiatives include a specific component related to gender.
As women’s engagement is a cross-cutting issue, many initiatives that include a focus on women can also be categorised under other thematic areas. The scope of EED’s support for women’s participation is therefore broader than the examples presented in this section.
©Free Sight Assocation
©Free Sight Assocation
A VISION OF TOLERANCE AND CREATIVITY Tunisia’s Free Sight Association was inspired by the idea that vision should never be limited; there should always be space for tolerance and creativity. Set up by Arbia Jebali, a long-time campaigner for women’s rights, the organisation works in rural areas of Tunisia where, as noted by Jebali, despite some recent progress, there is, “a complete absence of women’s rights and violence – direct or indirect – still permeates women’s lives.” The Free Sight Association mentors young people, particularly young women, on issues such as preventing violent extremism and violence against women. In recognition of the association’s expertise, the Tunisian Ministry of Women granted it a seat at the table of the steering committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (UNSCR). Through its advocacy work, the association has succeeded in pushing the implementation of UNSCR 1325 to the top of the Tunisian Ministry of Women’s agenda.