In Tunisia, the feminicide of a teacher by her ex-husband arouses the anger of feminist activists who organized a march in Kef, in the northwest of the country, the city of the victim. Despite a crucial law in the fight against violence, passed in 2017 and supposed to better protect victims, feminicides are frequent and associations denounce the silence of the authorities on the subject.
with our special correspondent at Kef, Lilia Blaise
In the city of Le Kef, about fifty women shout: those responsible are in their palaces while the victims are underground “, in reference to the feminicide of Wafa Sebaï. The mother of two was burned alive by her ex-husband on October 29, four days after their divorce was finalized.
Ahlem Bousserwel, secretary general of the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women denounces the failures of justice. ” Impunity has been going on for quite a while. This lady, Wafa, had already asked for protection once; a priori, according to the information we have (collected) this protection was supposedly applied by telling her husband not to approach her anymore but he overrode this decision, he came to see her several times and threatened her “.
This is the third feminicide in a year in this city. In May 2021, the murder of Refka Cherni, shot dead by her husband, aroused emotion at the national level. The husband’s trial is still pending. “ It shows how very slow the procedures are, continues Ahlem Bousserwel, that feminicide is not a priority, is not a state affair and it is a state will to disengage and abandon women to their fate »
March of anger organized by several feminist associations in Kef in the northwest of Tunisia after the feminicide of a teacher. Wafa Sebai, 40, was beaten by her husband and burned alive. This is the third feminicide in a year in Kef. #Tunisia pic.twitter.com/OuisqP1Vm7
— Blaise Lilia (@liliagaida) November 5, 2022
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Few men were present at the march of anger this Saturday. Seif Ghairi Thairi, is 23 years old and belongs to a feminist association. ” It seems to me that this is quite normal: men are not yet ready to lose the privileges that the patriarchy grants them, but in any case, we are not going to wait for them! »
According to a survey by the Ministry of Women, nearly half of Tunisian women have been victims of domestic violence at least once in their lives.
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