Women Political Participation in Tunisia: The 2022-2023 Legislative Elections

The 2022-2023 legislative elections are the 17th Tunisian legislative elections in the country’s history, and the first to be held in Tunisia following the adoption and implementation of the Constitution adopted on 16 August 2022 and the referendum of 25 July 2022.

The first round of the  legislative elections  was held on 17 December 2022 to elect members of Tunisia's Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP). Run-offs were held on 29 January 2023. The elections resulted in 24 women being elected out of a total of 154 members of parliament, a proportion of 15.5 per cent. This figure is below the 26.5 per cent global average and marks the lowest proportion of women's participation in elected legislatures in Tunisia since 2011.

Global statistics indicate that gender parity in political life is still a long way off and that women are still underrepresented at all levels of decision-making, around the world. It is crucial to look at both the subjective and objective causes of women's low political participation through the experiences of women who ran for office in 2022, in addition to the subjective causes that contributed to this low participation. This study aims to shed light on the gender dynamics of the 2022–2023 elections in Tunisia by examining the legislative framework, the results from discussions with five focus groups, and in-person interviews with female candidates. It will look at the opportunities and challenges that women faced during that period.

These particular circumstances have certainly influenced the electoral process and specifically women participation in leadership positions, especially since major amendments have been made to the electoral law and to the composition and operation of the High Independent Authority for Elections creating serious barriers to women candidacies and representation.