Tunisia President Kais Saied appoints Najla Bouden Romdhane as Prime Minister. She is Tunisia’s very first female Prime Minister.
Tunisian President Kais Saied has appointed Najla Bouden Romdhan as Tunisia’s and the Arab world’s first female prime minister, two months after dismissing the previous government and seizing broad executive powers following the activation of the article 80 of the Constitution.
“This is the first time in Tunisia’s history that a woman has led a government,” Saied said during Wednesday’s meeting with Najla Bouden Romdhane, according to a video released by the president’s office. “It is an honor to Tunisia and Tunisian women.”
Who is Najla Bouden Romdhan?
Najla Bouden, was born in Kairouan, Tunisia, in 1958, served in the ministry of higher education in 2011. She holds a doctorate in Geology from the French Ecole des mines, taught Civil Engineering at the National School of Engineers of Tunis (ENIT), was in charge of the MSc of oil drilling, served as General Director at the Cabinet of the Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research.
In 2014, Najla Bouden co-founded the Association de développement de l’enseignement supérieur with other prominent academic/owners of private Universities: Abderrahim Zouari, a former Minister, Farouk Kamoun, president of SESAME University, Slim Khalbous, a former Minister, Mahmoud Triki, founder and president of the Mediterranean school of business, Taher Belakhdhar, founder and president of ESPRIT University and Badreddine Ouali, founder of Vermeg.
She was in charge of the implementation of “PromESsE”, a World Bank project on the “modernization” of Higher Education to meet the requirements of the job market (neoliberalization of the university). The project was developed in partnership with former Ennahda Minister Laadhari.
