Introduction

Tunisia is one of the three countries in which WRCATI was piloted. As a result, women have much more access to knowledge about their family rights, giving them the ability to achieve those rights faster and more comprehensively, resulting in a better quality of life.

Currently, the WRCATI initiative is being finalized with the implementation of an automated tracking and monitoring mechanism for the Fund for Alimony and Divorce Annuity Guarantee.

 
 

Partners

WRCATI in Tunisia was implemented in collaboration with the Center for Arab Women Training and Research (CAWTAR).

 
 

Activities&Outcomes
 
  • CD ROM- Methodology
    • A group of lawyers and legal consultants were recruited to research and compile the data needed to produce the CD ROM.
    • CD content (based on Family laws)
    • Compiling information on laws and normative concerning family issues
    • Researching existing laws and legal documents
    • Recruitment of legal consultants
    • Defining the legal framework of tackled issues
    • Determining references and sources
    • Defining the scope of work and preparing the implementation schedule
    • Determining the target population
    • Necessity of inclusion in digital content in addition to thematic texts, procedural clarifications as well as explanations and links to related questions

 

  • CD ROM- Research Sources

Research sources were identified, among others:

    • Civil laws
    • Relevant legal studies,
    • Court judgments,
    • Previous studies and statistics,
    • In addition to consultations with:
      • Women’s groups
      • Legal advisors

  • CD ROM- Distribution Strategy

ICTDAR signed an MOU with the Cawtar and recipient organization regarding distribution; follow up, training and testing:

    • 1500 CDs were produced and distributed
    • The concerned ministry took part in the distribution
    • Forms and applications were digitized and distributed

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  • Frequently Asked Questions

ICTDAR team with the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research CAWTAR and a consultant coordinated the gathering of 1500 FAQs and 100 of these were selected

  • Web Site

    • ICTDAR analyzed two proposals for the CD and the website. The first solution was a static solution while the second solution was a dynamic solution. The latest was chosen for the elaboration of the website and the CD-Rom. The team has already started testing digitized data and forms. The material produced was converted from Word (documents) to PDF format.
    • Since March 2005, the website was activated: http://wrcati.cawtar.org
    • The website contains a digitized copy of all main acts, laws, decrees and the international conventions related to Family Law, children protection, health.
    • The answers to 100 Frequently Asked Questions;
    • Glossary The Secured forms
    • Relevant addresses of governmental and non governmental organisations.
    • Training Manual
    • Several organisations posted the link on their websites.
    • According to the statistics more than 12740 visitors have visited the web site

  • Train the Trainer

The training manual had instructions on the installation and navigation of the CD.

    • Legal partners: More than 41 Centers countrywide.
    • A training manual was developed and implemented targeting the concerned civil servants in the country. It was prepared with a user friendly approach
    • Capacity building and Training: Two training sessions have been organised. 22 trainees have been trained on the basis of IT, under the MOU between ICTDAR and Microsoft and training on the CD ROM content.
    • Each of the 22 trainees is committed to train 5 colleagues.
    • About 110 trainers have been trained, and ICTDAR is recording more than 50 requests from NGOs, journalists, asking for training.
    • Training in community centers for the family rights information system completed
    • Needs assessment for training Conducted in more than 50 centres
    • The centres selected are already equipped with computers.
    • Trainers and trainees for IT Selected
    • Training on basic IT Conducted
    • Training manual (contents of CD) Produced
    • Trainers and trainees for content of CD Selected
    • Training on substantive contents of CD Finalized

 

  • Women’s Centers

CAWTAR carried out a study on “Procurement and installation of multimedia computers in existing women’s support centers in Tunisia”. The needs of the centers are:

    • Software (i.e. acrobat reader, Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP; Internet Explorer)
    • Training. The software was installed in the computes in the selected centers and in CAWTAR’s own training center, in order to help target groups to be trained and become trainers.
    • The centers will ensure the sustainability of the training on the basic IT and on the content of the CD.
    • Different governmental and non governmental organisations have been involved all over the country:
      • Ministry of Justice: 48 judges (24 family judges + 24 judges advisors)
      • Ministry of Social Affairs: 24 decentralised centres with 1600 social workers.
      • Ministry of Women, Family and Children's Affairs: 25 centres
      • Office National de Famille et de Population (ONFP) : 24 offices
      • Union National des Femmes Tunisiennes (UNFT) : 24 délégations
      • NGOs: About 50 NGOs.

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  • Court Automation

The situation is to some extent different in Tunisia. Created by virtue of law 93-65 of 5 July 1993, the Fund for Alimony and Divorce Annuity Guarantee, ensures the payment of pension and annuity decided by the court, which remain unpaid to divorced women and their children because of the obstinacy of the condemned party.

In order to perform the services of the Fund to overcome the difficulties related to the non recovery of payment, lack of tracking and reporting organized and sustained system, ICTDAR carried out a preparatory study in order to assess the needs of the Fund and support the creation of an appropriate and accurate tracking and monitoring system.

  • The activities undertaken so far are:

    • Identification of the needs of the Fund for Alimony and Divorce Annuity Guarantee
    • Identification and Recruitment of two experts legal expert and IT expert) to contribute to define a proposal for the automation of tracking and reporting section/department of the Fund for Alimony and Divorce Annuity Guarantee that deals with payment and recovery.
    • Proposal of the technical aspects of the design of debtor’s system database.
    • Feasibility study is under discussion with the Fund for Alimony and Divorce Annuity Guarantee
    • After identifying criteria for new members of the specific Advisory Group, they have been approached by CAWTAR and convened a meeting. The meetings involved a representative of the General direction of Social Affairs and a representative of the Fund for Alimony and Divorce Annuity Guarantee .
    • Several meetings have been organized with the representatives of Ministry of Social Affairs and Solidarity and the Fund for Alimony and Divorce Annuity Guarantee . The purpose of the meetings was to discuss about how the project can support the fund to guarantee the rights of women and children.

 

  • Media & Advocacy

    • The project team (CAWTAR & ICTDAR) involvement with the media (press, journalists...) is an effective tool of dissemination. (25 press articles have been published in Tunisian newspapers)
    • The project team also organized several press conferences, and participated in several workshops, where the CD ROM was presented in the regional workshop ‘the economic, social and cultural Right women’s right in Maghreb region” (21-23 November 2005).
    • Production of a documentary film: CAWTAR prepared a 20 minutes documentary film. It documents WRCATI’s impact on the lives of women who used it. It is a nice collection of several beneficiaries’ testimonies who expressed their impressions, feelings and thoughts about the CD ROM and website.
    • Website : the Website http://wrcati.cawtar.org is functional since March 2005.

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Impact

ICTDAR received several personal and demonstrative testimonies showing the empowerment of women, through the activities of the project in Tunisia as the following:

“I became a small lawyer”  
By Mrs. Amel Mastouri, UNFT – Tunis -Delegation  

Usually women came to our office looking for advices and guidance to solve their problems related to custody, alimony, divorce, job…... The Tunis delegation of the Tunisian National Women Union is situated in urban areas. Women who came seeking for help, mostly, don’t read or write. These women usually, emigrated from rural areas to urban areas.

Quite a lot of have problems related to violence, divorce, looking for support or a job….

At the beginning they just tell their stories and how they are struggling. To help them, it was not an easy task. In the past I use d to spend a lot of time looking for the right information and the right contact person/organization to help them . Sometimes their story is so complicated that I fell helpless. Some times I was not confident with the information I hold. And I dot not have time to check or ask, because these women needs an immediate help.

It happens that I don’t have any answer which is very embarrassing for me and I felt sorry that I could not help these women in front me who struggle with her problems.

After we had the training and we received the CD in our office a lot of things changed.

At the beginning I was curiously, surfing in the CD reading the questions and their answers, go back to the glossary (I did not have any legal background); I want to memorize all the information to be ready to help once the occasion arise.

With the CD ROM the information was more accurate and faster. Few weeks ago I was telling to my boss “I became a “small lawyer!”. The CDROM gave me confidence and trust.


Testimony from a judge

Mrs. Raoudha Ouerseghni comments on the CDROM – WRCATI” because there is not a body that give guidance and did not provide legal information for free, women and vulnerable population with limited resources either they give up their rights or they had to manage to pay for information. The CDROM is a very good initiative to save time, and provide women and children and vulnerable population in general for free”  

* Mrs. Raoudha Ouerseghni, Judge
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights