But she should be growing olive trees for a living, she says. When their father died in , Gharsalli and her sisters inherited half as much land as their brothers, in accordance with Tunisian law. Then one of the brothers asked his sisters to sign a document. Despite laws protecting their right to inherit, many women in Tunisia struggle to get their allocated share. According to government figures from — the latest available — in 85 percent of cases women got no land at all when their fathers died.
The proposal, due to be debated by Parliament, has divided opinion across Tunisia, as well as other parts of North Africa and the Middle East. Government figures show that less than five percent of women in Tunisia are registered land owners. National polls show almost 60 percent of women in Tunisia are against the proposal, however, as it seeks to replace legislation that is based on Islamic law.
It is a question of economic power, which gives men power in the family and over the women. Now they have olive trees each, and Nasri and her five sisters have none. You will get land from your husbands, not from us. But if all the land a woman has is from her husband, a divorce can leave her with nothing, said Ahmed Mbarki, a lawyer in Kasserine.
Tunisian divorce law provides for an equal split of property acquired during the marriage, but that applies only to residences, not land. If there is a divorce — and there are many — the husband gives nothing to his wife. That will take time. She added that the ATFD is seeing more women fighting for their inheritance rights in court today compared to 20 years ago. Gharsalli is still waiting. After divorcing her husband in , she did not re-marry and now lives with her son.
All rights reserved. If you are the owner of the article or report and would like it to be removed, please contact us at hello landportal. Various news items related to land governance are posted on the Land Portal every day by the Land Portal users, from various sources, such as news organizations and other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic.
