6 Years After Tunisian Revolution: 5 Things to Know

Six years ago, on January 14, 2011, then Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali relinquished power and fled the country after a 23-year long ruling. Ben Ali and his family found refuge in Saudi Arabia and never returned. Six years later, Tunisia has still a long way to go. While praised by many for a successful democratic transition and for not falling into a cycle of violence and oppression, the actual causes of the Jasmin Revolution – unemployment and social inequalities- remain to be solved. Tunisians are growing impatient and several thousands have already left the country for Europe where they hope to find better opportunities. Thousands others have taken a radical path and joined the ranks of the Islamic State.

Six year post-revolution, where does Tunisia stand? Here are five things to know:

A democracy but a paralyzed economy. Tunisia passed a new constitution in 2014 and held free parliamentary and presidential elections the same year. However, authorities have struggled to redress Tunisia’s economic malaise. Tunisia’s external debt stands at nearly $28 billion or 69 percent of the country’s GDP. In November 2016, foreign countries pledged $14 billion in aid and loans during the Tunisia 2020 conference. Yet, the economy of the country cannot be fixed solely with foreign aid. Tunisia’s economic crisis is a political problem that requires a political solution. Sixty five percent of Tunisians believe the economic situation will worsen in 2017, according to a recent poll.

An unemployment rate higher than pre-revolution level. The unemployment rate in Tunisia exceeds 15 percent and remains above the pre-revolution level of 13 percent.  Two out of five youth under the age of 30 are out of work, while less than 1-in-4 women participate in the labor market, according to the World Bank.

Married and successful women most likely exposed to violence. While Tunisia has been praised for being the Arab world’s most progressive country for women’s rights, the reality is often different. Despite an array of laws aimed at advancing their rights, Tunisian women continue to suffer from a high rate of violence. The preliminary results of a study conducted by the Centre for Research, Studies, Documentation and Information on Women found that more than 75 percent of women have suffered from some forms of violence in 2016, up from 20 percent in 2010. Similarly, the number of women victim of domestic violence has gone up from 47 percent in 2010 to 60 percent in 2016.

Tunisians youth dream of Europe. Forty-five percent of Tunisians, aged 18-34, want to emigrate to Europe despite knowing the risks they could face by entering countries illegaly, according to a study released by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (Forum Tunisian pour les Droits Economiques et Sociaux) in December 2016. Thirty percent of surveyed Tunisians said they had already the desire to leave the country prior to the revolution. Since 2011, 35,000 Tunisians have already left to Europe, according to the Forum. (Tunisian government estimates 20,000 youth have migrated illegally to Europe after the revolution.)

Tunisia, biggest exporter of foreign fighters for ISIS. Between 5000 and 7000 Tunisians are estimated to have joined the ranks of the Islamic State over the last three years. (Tunisian authorities have boasted that they’ve prevented some 12,000 other potential jihadists from leaving the country for Syria). While the fear to see homegrown militants trained overseas return is on everyone’s mind, Tunisia has already been targeted by several terrorist attacks since 2013.