CARTHAGE MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE: Swedish State Secretary for Gender Equality, Karin Strandås, on Tunisia’s reforms, achievements and challenges in terms of gender equality.
Karin Strandås is State Secretary to Minister for Gender Equality, with responsibility for anti-discrimination and anti-segregation, Åsa Lindhagen. State secretaries are politically appointed senior officials at the Government Offices who lead the work of a ministry directly under the head of the ministry or another minister.
Through the following recorded video, Strandås made a statement in which she talked a bit on Tunisia’s accomplishments and reforms in terms of gender equality. In her video, she mentioned that she visited Tunisia for the Tunis Forum on Gender Equality. That was held in April 2019 as a follow up of Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality held in 2018. About 500-600 heads of States and Governments, civil society organisations, international organisations, attended the forum.
State Secretary Strandås also mentioned that Tunisia’s democratic consolidation continues to be an important example and source for inspiration in the MENA-region and beyond.
Strandås said that she is impressed by the legislative reforms Tunisia has undertaken to strengthen women’s rights and gender quality. She then added that Sweden is and will continue to be a committed partner in this development.
Strandås highlighted the importance of placing women’s rights and gender equality at the heart of sustainable development. She further emphasized that women and men, girls and boys, must have the same power to shape society and their own lives.
Video made available via a collaboration with Wissem Boudriga, posted diplomat at the Embassy of Tunisia in Stockholm, Sweden. As a poster to the MFA mission in Stockholm, His Excellency coordinated so we could have the video of the Swedish Secretary of State for Gender Equality shared exclusively through Carthage Magazine.
“The Forum was organized on the occasion of Women’s Day and the idea was also to invite Foreign Ministers of gender equality to contribute with a short video where they show support to Tunisia’s efforts and accomplishments in terms of gender equality. ” said Boudriga.
The above recorded video we have through Carthage Magazine, is a joint work between the Embassy of Tunisia to Stockholm, the Embassy of Sweden to Tunis, which have always been working closely together, and the Tunisian Ministry of Women, Family, Children and Seniors. The State Secretary’s talk was part of the contribution to the International Forum on Tunisia’s agenda 2030 priorities on the question of gender equality post Covid-19.
The Tunis Forum on Gender Equality
“Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from a gender perspective: Tunisia’s post-COVD-19 Priorities” is the theme of the International Forum on Tunisia’s agenda 2030 priorities that took place on August 10-12 in Tunis. The Forum was organized by the Ministry of Women, Family, Children and Seniors on National Women’s Day.
The forum is designed to showcase the achievements and efforts made by Tunisia when it comes to protecting women’s rights in the light of the Covid-19 global pandemic and to take stock of progress made on women’s rights in general.
“The forum is a key opportunity to assess Tunisia’s achievements in women’s protection, particularly during this anti-COVID-19 phase and to reorganise the priorities according to the SDGs from a gender perspective” Minister of Women, Family, Children and Seniors Asma Sehiri, pointed out, Tuesday during the Tunis Forum on Gender Equality 2020.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a strong presence of women in key positions, as they represent 65% in the health sector, 80% in media and 47% in municipal councils, with a poor presence in decision-making positions, ” Sehiri, added.
The 2030 Agenda for SDGs Document was adopted by Tunisia, along 192 other countries, in September 2015 and is included in the five year development plan 2016-2020.
The Forum is supported by: UN Women, United Nations Development Programme, UNFPA, Tunis Office of the International Labour Organisation, the UNOPS and UNODC.
Special Thanks to: Wissem Boudriga, posted to the Embassy of Tunisia to Sweden (chargé d’affaires), Hella Ben Youssef, project manager (chargée de mission) in the Ministry of Women, Moez Mehdi Mahmoudi, Ambassador of Tunisia to Sweden, Anna Block Mazoyer, Ambassador of Sweden to Tunisia and her Deputy Head of Mission, Gabriel Lindén.
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