Democracy, women’s rights, and public opinion in Tunisia

Abstract

The Arab Spring demonstrated that public opinion can powerfully affect the region’s political life. Tunisia is particularly important in this regard; it is the Arab country where democracy has taken firmest root and is therefore of enormous geopolitical significance insofar as it can serve as a model for other countries in the region. This article assesses the state of Tunisian democracy using data from a 2015 survey of 1580 Tunisian adults. It finds that most of the country’s citizens are ambivalent or skeptical about the Arab Spring’s benefits, while support for freedom of speech has weakened in recent years. A multivariate analysis assesses the impact of socio-demographic factors and support for women’s rights (key to the entrenchment of democracy in Tunisia) on democratic attitudes. It is concluded that, while Tunisia’s political record to date provides grounds for cautiously forecasting that democracy will endure, its path is unlikely to be easy.