On Tuesday, Tunisia’s and the Arab world’s first female prime minister called for increased global efforts to empower women. Najla Bouden Romdhane, speaking at the World Government Summit, said the issue was integral to preventing violence against women.
She emphasized the importance of including women in leadership, economic, and private-sector roles during a session titled Driving Positive Change: Rise of Women in Government.
“I speak as a Tunisian daughter; I also speak as the first Arab woman to lead a government,” she told delegates. Violence against women is a worldwide concern.”
The 64-year-old Prime Minister stated that emotionally and financially exploiting women had serious societal consequences.
“Equal opportunities must be created and maintained.We must provide women with the necessary tools to make decisions and draft laws that benefit society.”
While Tunisia had made strides toward empowering women, such as doubling loan amounts granted to rural residents, she said more needed to be done.
“Women continue to rise to the occasion. However, we remain a small group in terms of leadership positions and business owners. We cannot find solutions to move forward or create equal opportunities for men and women unless there is a genuine desire to change,” the Prime Minister added.
