Day: March 6, 2024

Palestinian author Adania Shibli will be invited as a guest at the 12th Shepherd Festival in Mount Semmama, due in Aparil 18-24, said activist and head of the Semmama Cultural Centre of Arts and Crafts Adnene Helali. The festival's founder indicated that Shibli will be Tunisia's guest after that a ceremony scheduled for the Frankfurt Book Fair at which she was to receive the 2023 LiBeraturpreis award for her novel Minor Detail, had been cancelled. The writer expressed "delight at receiving this invitation, which is an unparalleled gesture of support at a time when there is no longer any joy," said Helali. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Diapaga: Five people were killed on Wednesday and two others injured in an aircraft crash in Diapaga in eastern Burkina, AIB learned on the scene. According to testimonies collected by the AIB, the plane missed its takeoff and ended up in a tree. The aircraft belongs to the Lead Air company which has been flying from Ouagadougou to Diapaga for almost three months. We remind you that the Fada N'Gourma -Diapaga axis is difficult to access due to insecurity. The army regularly organizes supply and transport convoys for the benefit of the populations. Source: Burkina Information Agency Health Minister Ali Mrabet took part in the first international conference on universal health coverage and family health held in Tehran (Iran) on March 5 and 6, with the participation of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and several health ministers and senior officials from 18 countries. The aim of this international conference is to discuss a range of issues, including health systems in the context of universal health coverage and mechanisms to protect the health of citizens, as well as mother and child health programmes, digitalisation in the health sector and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In his speech, Mrabet recalled that the Palestinian people have been deprived of their right to health as a result of the aggressions perpetrated by the Zionist entity against civilians and health professionals and the bombing of hospitals in the Gaza Strip. He described the aggressions as a flagrant violation of international treaties and conventions and the right to health, which is closely linked to human rights, as advocated by the World Health Organisation. The Health Minister on Tuesday held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Bahram Einollahi, Minister of Health and Medical Education. The talks focused on ways to strengthen health cooperation between the two countries in a number of areas, such as cardiovascular surgery, cancer treatment and the pharmaceutical industry, in line with the guidelines set out by the Presidents of the two countries. President Kais Saied and his Iranian counterpart expressed their desire to develop cooperation between the two countries during a meeting held in Algiers on March 2. The Minister of Health stressed the importance of further strengthening cooperation and exchanges of experience between the two countries, particularly in the field of vaccine and pharmaceutical production and consolidating links between the Pasteur Institute in Tunis and the Pasteur Institute in Iran. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

A panel discussion on "Investing in women entrepreneurs: accelerating change" was held on Wednesday at the National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT), on the initiative of the European Union delegation in Tunisia. The ambassadors of the Member States of the European Union (EU) in Tunisia reaffirmed, on the occasion, their constant support for women entrepreneurs, given the challenges and difficulties they face in obtaining the necessary financing. The event, which is part of the celebration of International Women's Day, aims to pay tribute to the commitment of Tunisian women who are working towards a more inclusive entrepreneurial world. It featured testimonials from Tunisian women entrepreneurs, as well as a panel of change-makers working in the entrepreneurship and finance ecosystem. Participants spoke about their successes and the difficulties they face in obtaining the financing they need to start or develop their businesses. In particular, they mentioned obstacles in financial inst itutions, such as requirements for bank guarantees and a lack of programmes tailored to their needs, as well as social and cultural norms that underestimate their entrepreneurial abilities. EU Ambassador to Tunisia, Marcus Cornaro, pointed out that the testimonies of women entrepreneurs in Tunisia reflect their determination to break down barriers and combat stereotypes associated with women in the field of entrepreneurship. The EU is working through cooperation programmes to promote greater involvement of women entrepreneurs and innovators in several development sectors, thereby contributing to the creation of a more inclusive economy, he stressed. At the global level, the European Union and its Member States are stepping up their efforts to promote gender equality, in particular through the EU's Gender Action Plan (GAP III) 2021-2025. The aim is to support equal opportunities and combat discrimination in 85% of cooperation activities. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The "Don't feed the monster" online campaign to combat cyber violence against girls was launched on Wednesday at the Rue de Russie high school in Tunis by Minister of the Family, Women, Children and the Elderly, Amal Belhaj Moussa. The campaign is organised by the Centre for Research, Studies, Documentation and Information on Women (CREDIF) with the support of the Canadian Embassy in Tunisia. At the opening of the event, which was attended by a large number of students, the Minister, who was accompanied by Minister of Education Mohamed Ali Boughdiri stressed that this online campaign aims to make society aware of the dangers of cyber-violence against girls and to prevent it through the development of a culture of non-violence and education to protect women and girls from the risks of violation of their personal data and threats in cyberspace. The Minister of Women explained that the campaign is aimed at young girls aged 13 and 17 who are enrolled in educational institutions, in order to raise their awarene ss of this phenomenon and enable them to surf the Internet without being exposed to the dangers of digital violence. For his part, the Minister of Education stressed the importance of this initiative to protect students from the dangers of the Internet. Director General of CREDIF, Soraya Balkahia, said the digital campaign includes a series of communication materials in Arabic and French. These include an awareness-raising video, posters and a digital safety website www.nenourrispaslemonstre.tn. The website includes advice, useful information, testimonials on specific forms of digital violence and a list of reporting mechanisms, such as the toll-free number 1899. This digital campaign is based on the idea that digital violence against girls is a monster that feeds on its victims' private lives. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Minister of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly Amel Belhaj Moussa called for a comprehensive report to be drawn up on the achievements of the Tunisian State in terms of gender equality, as part of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Chairing the 1st meeting of the committee responsible for preparing the Tunisian report on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for 2024, the minister said that this national report will review the significant steps taken by Tunisia to enshrine women's economic rights, reads a ministry press release. The meeting was attended by representatives of the prime ministry, relevant ministries and civil society. The report on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a reference framework for analysing the situation of women worldwide and assessing the efforts made by countries to promote women's rights. This is the 6th report produced by Tunisia since the adoption of the Beijing De claration and Platform for Action in 1995. The minister further indicated that the report will cover all the achievements made from 2019 to 2023 in terms of women and children's rights, fight against poverty and violence, health, economy, environment, information, and access to decision-making positions. In this respect, she pointed to the programmes implemented by the Ministry for the economic empowerment of women and girls (RAIDAT), which have helped to set up 3,679 women's projects and create 5,605 jobs. As part of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), she indicated that 34 women agricultural development groups had been launched in 13 governorates for the benefit of 1,033 women, in addition to the creation of 75 sources of income in 2023, as part of the programme for the economic empowerment of agricultural women. Belhaj Moussa further outlined the national "Samida" programme for the economic empowerment of women victims of violence, which has increased the number of shelters for thee women and thei r children to 13 nationwide. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Social Affairs Minister Malek Ezzahi had a meeting on Tuesday in Rome with Italian Minister of Labour and Social Policies Marina Elvira Calderone, during which both officials discussed cooperation opportunities between Tunisia and Italy in the field of attracting labour and skills. In this respect, Ezzahi called for boosting opportunities for Tunisians from poor and low-income families, reads a ministry press release published on Wednesday. On a visit to Dar Tounisi, Ezzahi urged greater efforts to better represent Tunisia and to raise its flag high abroad. He also commended a group of Tunisian executives working in Italy, calling on them to redouble their efforts and demonstrate excellence in the service of Tunisia. He also called on the social attachés working in Italy to remain attentive to the concerns of Tunisians expats and to meet their expectations, pointing to the need for greater coordination with the heads of diplomatic missions so as to serve the Tunisian community abroad. The minister further visited an inclusive tourism company for people with disabilities in Rome, accompanied by Italian Minister for Disability Alessandra Locatelli during which he learned about the company's experience in employing people with disabilities. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The ceremony of setting up the new local council of Ben Arous was held, on Wednesday, at the headquarters of the governorate, following the draw operation organized, last week, by the Independent Regional Authority of Elections (IRIE) in Ben Arous. The ceremony was attended by governor of Ben Arous, Ezzedine Chelbi, as well as new members of the local council took part in this ceremony. Member Adel Majoul was summoned to assume the presidency of the Ben Arous local council, under the legal provisions in force. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The inauguration of the eight-member Tataouine regional council took place on Wednesday at the Tataouine governorate headquarters. The members of the new regional council were chosen through lots involving representatives of the region's local councils. Speaking on the occasion, local governor Hafedh Fitouri underlined the role of each member in improving the quality of life of citizens and working to foster regional development. He added that major projects were underway in Tataouine, including the installation of a 1,000-hectare solar power plant in Borj Bourguiba and the resumption of work on the natural gas processing plant. Fitouri called on local and regional authorities to work together to promote the various delegations in the region. For their part, the members of the Tataouine Regional Council, chaired by Ali Lamloum, expressed their willingness to serve Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse