TUNISIA TO ENLIST WOMEN INTO THE ARMY

Tue 05 January 2021:

Tunisia is set to propose a bill which would see women conscripted into the army, the Ministry of Defence announced.

Set to be presented to the House of Representatives, the bill will include mandatory military service for both men and women in an effort to achieve further equality between the sexes.

This comes as the country faces an economic crisis and terror attacks.

All men over the age of 20 are eligible for military service in Tunisia and this obligation remains until the age of 35. Those under 20 who wish to enlist must provide permission from their parents. However there has been a reluctance among nationals to serve in the military leading officials to make the laws more flexible.

According to the 2020 population census, women outnumber men in Tunisia, with a little over 50 per cent of the population female.

The Tunisian army was classed the 11th most powerful army in the Middle East and North Africa according to Global Firepower. With neighbours Algeria and Morocco coming fourth and seventh in the ranking respectively.