Meet Souad Abderrahim, the first female mayor of Tunisia’s capital in 160 years

Souad Abderrahim is not like the past 32 mayors of this North African capital. They hailed from wealthy, influential families. She’s a self-made businesswoman. They were political appointees. She was elected in the first-ever mayoral vote last month.

And, oh, yes, they were all men.

Abderrahim has become that rarity in the Arab world: a woman holding a top elective position. Even in Tunisia, where women’s rights are more advanced than in most other countries of North Africa and the Middle East, her rise is widely seen as a breakthrough for women and has renewed hopes for greater gender parity.

“I am only one among many women who have struggled for years for equality,” said Abderrahim, seated behind a large wooden desk in the spacious mayor’s office. The 53-year-old entrepreneur was playing down her newfound fame with little success.

Click here to read the full article published by The Washington Post on 22 August 2018.