Tunisia – Tunisian organizations develop programs to empower craftswomen after Covid crisis

Location: Tunis, Tunisia

Language: Arabic

Duration: 00:05:15

Voice: Natural

Source: A24 Tunis

Restriction: A24 subscribers

Date: 22/08/2022

Storyline:

Some organizations and institutions in Tunisia started developing programs to support craftswomen and help them to stick to their trade, especially after the severe financial crisis they faced due to Covid-19 pandemic. National Union of Tunisian Women held training courses on e-marketing and virtual markets and provided female crafters with low-cost spaces, such as markets and exhibitions, to allow them to introduce their products to the public. The union’s, Radhia Al-Jribi, told A24 that artisans lack points of sale and promotion and face difficulties in finding markets, especially in interior provinces. She added that the women’s union seeks to empower them by financing their projects, training them in promoting, and providing them with selling points in special centers distributed across Tunisia.

Shot list:

Soundbite (Radhia Jerbi- Head of the National Union of Tunisian Women):

“We know that almost all craftswomen lack points of sale and promotion. Promotion is the main problem, especially amid difficult economic and social conditions. Therefore, we need to support them. Starting a point of sale and finding markets for their products are not easy tasks for a craftsperson, especially in interior provinces. The women’s union launched this program to help women in need and we hope such programs will be widespread in the country. We have sales points in some regions and governorates such as Kairouan, Sfax, Sousse, and others. But a remote point of sale here in the Bab Banat area in Tunisia will have a great role in overcoming difficulties faced by the craftswomen.”

Soundbite (Mounia Bouzid – craftswoman):

“We want to set a framework in terms of funding and training. There are 27 training centers for traditional industries, sweets, hairdressing, and adult education. It is a whole network that embraces us as artisans and helps us find points of sale, like this virtual market. The financing also will be big support for them in their career. I think that the traditional industries in Tunisia have developed. It is no longer just a social supporter, it is a major contributor to the economy and can generate profits from Tunisian exports.”

Soundbite (Nowruz Al-Shawsh – a craftswoman in making natural oils and herbs):

“It is different from having a store and facing financial pressure. These markets facilitate marketing in more areas, not only Nabeul, and meeting more people, unlike private stores that are sometimes located in remote areas. I know people from Sousse, Monastir and all the Tunisian governorates and this will help in promoting our products.”