Forgotten working women in Corona time, what is the intervention of civil society?

On the 17th of May,2020, Hadith Jamaiyet has hosted an online event that treats the topic of marginalized groups of women who lives in constant threat and are exposed to psychological and physical violence during the global pandemic of COVID-19 times.

What is Hadith Jamaiyet?

Hadith Jamaiyet is an initiative launched by the station 47, the coworking space of Jamity, in order to create spaces for dialogue and partnership between different parties of civil society on a range of different topics

What is our focus?

In fact, due to the spread of the Coronavirus in the world, many women have found themselves facing unemployment such as domestic workers, sex workers, and workers in the agricultural sector.

These groups of women are considered forgotten, unrecognized by the state, and do not fall under a legal framework that protects their rights.

How did we approach it?

Through the program of ‘Hadith Jamaiyet’, Jamaity gave the opportunity and a voice for forgotten working Tunisian women in such a crisis. For this purpose, some speakers from different associations, such as Mawjoudin we exist, FTDES, Association Voix d’ Eve, were present on line to intervene and talk about civil society’s interference. 

During the meeting, they were asked about the challenges they are facing in providing support to women, and about the priorities for intervention needed for the coming period in order to develop effective solutions to advance women working in these sectors.

How did these associations face such a problem?

During the interventions, many points were highlighted such as:

Absence of health aspects, especially in the epidemiological situation and the inability to access health facilities.

As well as the absence of the legal aspect from state institutions which makes them vulnerable to violations.

Also, the incapacity of economic aspects to provide the basics.

The initiatives and services that were provided in the epidemiological situation to help women working in this sector, the representatives of associations mentioned:

Providing financial assistance such as extracting known information, financial assistance, and online listening services.

Launching a campaign for the defense of women working in the agricultural sector and raising their awareness of the dangers and symptoms of the Coronavirus and ways to prevent it, and calling the media to highlight this marginalized groups of women.

Initiating investigative journalism to let the voice of women, working in the agricultural sector, heard in order to push for change, and put pressure on media to stop violations of their rights.