Tunisia- Female farmworkers protest to demand their rights

Location: Tunis – Tunisia

Language: Arabic

Duration: 00:04:11

Sound: natural

Source: A24 in Tunisia

Restrictions: A24 subscribers

Date: 03-10-2022

Storyline:

Female farmworkers carried out a protest in the center of capital Tunis, denouncing their poor working conditions, and continued marginalization by Tunisian authorities.

Women working in agriculture and fishing sectors receive very low wages that do not exceed 15 dinars per day (US$4.59). Their work exposes them to dangers including road accidents due to unorganized transportation.

Protesters demand the government to provide them with social insurance that grants them pension, and access to health services.

Shotlist:

– Soundbite (Razia Al-Muntaser – Fisherman):

“We demand social insurance. We hope to receive a grant to help us deal with our poor economic situation and high cost of living. Women are struggling with difficult lie conditions.  I have spent my whole life without catching a break. I will be fifty years old soon and have not achieved anything. I have no monthly income to support myself and my health is deteriorating. I can only pray to God to ease my burdens and get me through these hard times.”

– Soundbite (Najia Bin Khalifa – Female farmworker): 

“I have been a farmworker since I was 8 years old, I am now 61 years old. Working under the strong sun has damaged my eyes. We walk daily a distance of 3 to 4 km in the rain and cold, in the sun and heat. I demand what is our right, legalization of our profession.”

Interview (Hayat al-Dababi – Female farmworker):

“I am here today to defend the rights of female farmworkers, who work under very strenuous conditions. During Covid-19, everyone sat at home, while female farmworkers kept moving from place to another for work, exposing themselves to danger. We have the rights to social insurance, our right should be guaranteed. “

– Soundbite (Hayat Al-Attar – In charge of female farmworkers affairs in The Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights)

“Affairs of female farmworkers have not been resolved since 2021 until now, so they took to the streets today across Tunisia in a protest supported by Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights. Several  cities such as Sidi Bouzid, Kairouan, Kasserine and Sfax coordinated protest efforts, as well. The demands are female farmworkers right to organized means of transportation, social insurance, decent wage and legalization of this profession, that is currently unrecognized and marginalized. Female farmworkers work without social insurance, as their work is seasonal, unstructured and unorganized, and therefore their right to pension is denied.”