Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi marked Women's Day in Tunisia on Monday with a speech in which he pledged to refer a law introducing equal inheritance rights for men and women to parliament in the near future.

"I propose to make equal inheritance a law," he said in the televised speech, adding that "male and female citizens are equal before the law without discrimination."

Currently, under the sharia or Islamic law as applied in Tunisia and in many other Muslim-majority countries, male heirs receive double the assets given to females of the same level of kinship.

Read more: Women's rights in Tunisia: Could first female mayor signal democratic change?

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Heated debate

The proposal to establish inheritance equality is one of the most hotly contested of the social reforms put forward by a commission set up by Essebsi last year to review the country's rights laws.

The commission, which has consulted with representatives of civil society and political parties, has also proposed decriminalizing homosexuality and abolishing the death penalty.

A protest against the proposed reforms in the capital, Tunis, on Saturday drew thousands of people. A pro-equality demonstration is planned for Monday evening in the city center.

Ever since it gained independence from France in 1956, Tunisia has been seen as progressive in implementing women's rights compared to other countries in the Muslim world. Last year, it passed a landmark law on violence against women, which went into force in January.

The proposed equal inheritance law would be applied only when a last will and testament do not stipulate any preferences as to the division of the inheritance.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo Dark silhouettes in Tunis' Souqs From a time when ͞the walls had ears to post-revolution struggles seven years later, Tunisians are proud to have won their freedom of speech.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo Café Le Parlement "Now, at least we can speak freely," proclaim Tunisians on the streets. Cafes, such as Le Parlement in Tunis, have become a forum for discussions and debates spurred on by the revolution.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo Bullet hole in Bardo Bardo,Tunisia's National Museum, was the scene of one of the two terror attacks in 2015, which left 24 people dead and the country's crucial tourism economy in tatters.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo The scene of the attack Twenty tourists were killed In Bardo, and another 38 in the resort town Sousse. Tunisia also has the highest number of "Islamic State" recruits, and has fought against an Islamist insurgency in the country's border regions.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo Post-revolution political assassinations The murders of secularist politicians Mohamed Brahmi and Chokri Belaid shocked the country in 2013; Tunis routinely sees demonstrators calling for justice.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo Between football and apathy Competing football club graffiti in Tunis suburbs. Some young Tunisians have pointed at the political apathy and disengagement, claiming that society focuses more on football rivalries than post-revolution politics.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo Fighting for women's rights A landmark law, which came into effect in February, made violence against women a criminal offence. Wafa Fraouis has been involved in women's issues since she was 15-years old. She was a member of the committees drafting the post-revolution constitution, enshrining gender equality in Tunisia's future. She is now director of Beity, the only shelter for vulnerable women in Tunis.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo A tantalizing glimpse of a better life For many Tunisians, the only option to escape creeping poverty is the dangerous journey to Europe. Over 6,000 Tunisians reached Italy's shores in 2017 alone; over a third came in the space of two months, the sharpest increase since the 2011 revolution.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo Discarded and forgotten Inside a cafe, a group of men sit around plastic tables covered with coffee cups, as heaps of discarded cigarette butts pile underneath. "This is what unemployment looks like," says one of the regulars inside. At least three visitors in the small cafe have been deported from Italy.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo Escaping from their past Marwan, a regular at this cafe, says many Tunisians leave to escape prison sentences, provide for their families back home, or cut links with the past completely. "We departed together with five boats; three made it to Lampedusa." He spent four years in northern Italy, dealing drugs and saving enough for a house and marriage back home.

Tunisia stuck in post-revolution limbo The final nail in the coffin Hundreds of Tunisians who have tried to take the dangerous sea route across the Mediterranean have perished. Unmarked graves have popped up along Tunisia's coastline. Author: Benas Gerdziunas (Tunis)



tj/rc (AFP, dpa, AP)