Tunisia now has the chance to repair some of the many flaws in the Arab political fabric - lack of accountability, in-built corruption, an estranged political elite with little connection to wider society, marginalisation of women from political leadership and an Islamist-secularist dichotomy entrenched through state propaganda.
The Constituent Assembly boasts a higher percentage of women than France, Belgium, Ireland, the UK and US. Some 42 of the 49 female members - more than 85 per cent - are from the Islamist Ennahdha party, making it the most progressive Tunisian party in terms of female political representation and one of the most progressive worldwide. A woman has also just been appointed Vice-President of the Assembly, also from Ennahdha.
This outcome could herald a new phase characterised by a genuine commitment to women's status as full and equal partners in public life, rather than the exploitation of women's issues for political point scoring seen under Ben Ali.
Read more in Al Jazeera, published 28 Nov
Tunisia now has the chance to repair some of the many flaws in the Arab political fabric - lack of accountability, in-built corruption, an estranged political elite with little connection to wider society, marginalisation of women from political leadership and an Islamist-secularist dichotomy entrenched through state propaganda.
The Constituent Assembly boasts a higher percentage of women than France, Belgium, Ireland, the UK and US. Some 42 of the 49 female members - more than 85 per cent - are from the Islamist Ennahdha party, making it the most progressive Tunisian party in terms of female political representation and one of the most progressive worldwide. A woman has also just been appointed Vice-President of the Assembly, also from Ennahdha.
This outcome could herald a new phase characterised by a genuine commitment to women's status as full and equal partners in public life, rather than the exploitation of women's issues for political point scoring seen under Ben Ali.
Read more in Al Jazeera, published 28 Nov