Tunisia

Bochra Bel Haj Hmida is an attorney at the Court of Cassation and a member of the Assembly of People’s Representatives since 2014. She is a feminist activist who has contributed to the creation of several associations and has participated in human rights campaigns. She was the President of the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women and then appointed General Secretary from 2003 to 2005. She is a member of the first network of Arab women. Additionally, she is also the co-founder and member of The Caucus for Women Politicians in the Arab Region, working with women in conflict zones on UNSC Resolution 1325 related issues. She was appointed President of the Committee on Rights and Freedoms of the People’s Assembly, is President of the Committee on Individual Freedoms and Equality and a member of the G7 Advisory Council for Gender Equality. She has given several conferences internationally. She was awarded honors by several Arab and Western organizations and women’s magazines additionally to being given the medal of the Type 2 Order of the Republic, the Anna Lindh Civil Society Award in 2015, the Hero award of the Global Campaign against Extremism and Intolerance from the International Coalition of Hope and the Fatima El Fehri award from the Muslims for Progressive Values Association. She has always been involved in mediation, as a lawyer practicing family mediation, as an activist when attending international trials and investigation on human rights violations including sexual violence in conflict zones and as a member of parliament negotiating between parties including for the introduction of a law on violence again women.

Ms. Bouchamaoui is a shareholder and administrator of the Hedi Bouchamaoui Group. In May 2011, she was elected President of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), being the first women to be appointed in this position. In 2013, UTICA, together with the Tunisian General Labour Union, the Tunisian Human Rights League, and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers, launched “The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet”, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for their successful mediation between political and social actors. She has been identified as one of the most influential business women in Africa and has been nominated by the Deauville Partnership « Best Business Women of the Arab World » in 2013 during the G8. Additionally, in 2014 she was a laureate for the « Business for Peace Award ». In these past years, she has been involved in several Foundations promoting education, equality and dialogue for a sustainable peace. Additionally, in October 2017, she was elected Vice President of the European Centre for Peace and Development, established by the UN, within the University of Peace in Belgrade. In June 2018, she became a member of the council at the San José Peace University in Costa Rica. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, nominated her president of the Steering Committee of the Summit of the Two Shores held in June 2019 and invited her to become member of the Consultative Council on gender equality. She joined the MWMN to share her experience and to contribute to helping find peaceful solutions to the conflict afflicting the world.

Khadija Cherif is a feminist activist and winner of the 2014 Minerva Award. In August 2015, she was awarded the Legion of Honor, granted by the President of the Republic of Tunisia. She teaches sociology at the University of Tunis. Parallel to her academic work, she is involved in the Tunisian civil society movement. She joined the Tunisian League of Human Rights (LTDH) in the early 80s. From 1985 until 1994 she was first the Chair of the Women’s Commission and then Vice-President of the National Board. She is a founding member of the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD), for which she was President between 2006 and 2008, and the Women’s Association for Research and Development (AFRD). After the revolution, she was appointed to the High Authority to prepare for the democratic transition. Today she chairs the ATFD’s Equality in Legacy Commission. In 2008 she received the Human Rights Prize of the French Republic on behalf of the ATFD. She has several publications on women’s rights and social change. Her commitment to equality and the importance attributed to women’s participation in decision-making and in all negotiation processes, drives her interest in being a member of the MWMN for its capacity-building and the role it can play in making UNSCR 1325 effective.

Salwa Sahloul is Head of Mission in the Office of the Head of Government since April 2019.
After graduating from the Military Academy where she studied administration and obtained a master’s degree, she worked in the Ministry of National Defence as an administrative officer for 15 years and had accomplished many missions of mediation and conflict resolution in the fieldwork.

In 2014, she was appointed adviser to the Minister of Women, Family and childhood. In 2016, she became an international coach and expert on “Women, Peace and Security” after a long process training with UN Women Egypt, The Arab League.
In 2017, she participated with the national high-level committee in the elaboration of the National Action Plan of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 as the head of the protection pillar.
During the first General Assembly of the African Union’s Femwise-Africa Network, Salwa was chosen among the first 50 African mediators to participate in mediation and prevention of conflict missions in the African continent.

In June 2018 she was promoted to the rank of Major and obtained the military decoration.
In September 2019 during the 47th General Assembly of the United Nations in New-York she was selected among the first Women Mediators to launch “The Global Alliance of Regional Networks of Women Mediators”.