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| Tunisian Protesters Join Lawmakers’ Call for Women’s Affairs Minister to Resign | Tunisian Protesters Join Lawmakers’ Call for Women’s Affairs Minister to Resign |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| TUNIS (Agence France-Presse) — Dozens of angry Tunisians brandishing shoes on Friday demanded the resignation of the minister of women’s affairs, accusing her of failing to stand up to the ruling Islamists. | TUNIS (Agence France-Presse) — Dozens of angry Tunisians brandishing shoes on Friday demanded the resignation of the minister of women’s affairs, accusing her of failing to stand up to the ruling Islamists. |
| The minister, Sihem Badi, has for months been strongly criticized by civil society activists over her ties to Ennahda, the Islamist party that leads the coalition government and that secular opposition groups say seeks to curtail women’s rights. | |
| Fifty members of Parliament on Thursday signed a no-confidence motion against the minister, according to the official news agency TAP, after similar protests earlier in the week. | Fifty members of Parliament on Thursday signed a no-confidence motion against the minister, according to the official news agency TAP, after similar protests earlier in the week. |
| On Friday, protesters chanted “Badi get out!” and “Government of terrorism, minister of rape.” Many of them waved shoes, a gesture considered insulting in conservative Arab societies, and likened Ms. Badi to the reviled wife of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted in 2011. | On Friday, protesters chanted “Badi get out!” and “Government of terrorism, minister of rape.” Many of them waved shoes, a gesture considered insulting in conservative Arab societies, and likened Ms. Badi to the reviled wife of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted in 2011. |
| Calls for Ms. Badi’s resignation have increased since the recent rape of a 3-year-old girl at a nursery in a Tunis suburb. The main suspect was arrested last Sunday. | Calls for Ms. Badi’s resignation have increased since the recent rape of a 3-year-old girl at a nursery in a Tunis suburb. The main suspect was arrested last Sunday. |
| After reports of the rape case emerged, Ms. Badi said that a member of the girl’s family was to blame and that no measures against the nursery were needed. | After reports of the rape case emerged, Ms. Badi said that a member of the girl’s family was to blame and that no measures against the nursery were needed. |
| “She has not fulfilled her role as minister for the affairs of women and the family, and she has done nothing to guarantee the rights of children since her appointment” in 2011, said Lilia Ben Kheder, a lawyer. | “She has not fulfilled her role as minister for the affairs of women and the family, and she has done nothing to guarantee the rights of children since her appointment” in 2011, said Lilia Ben Kheder, a lawyer. |
| Other critics of Ms. Badi say that the ministry has allowed illegal day care centers to operate without supervision and that rapes have occurred at other facilities under the ministry’s authority. | Other critics of Ms. Badi say that the ministry has allowed illegal day care centers to operate without supervision and that rapes have occurred at other facilities under the ministry’s authority. |
| A number of people staged a counterdemonstration in support of the minister, shouting slogans like “The people still want Badi” and “Tunisia is Islamic and not secular.” | A number of people staged a counterdemonstration in support of the minister, shouting slogans like “The people still want Badi” and “Tunisia is Islamic and not secular.” |
| Ms. Badi belongs to President Moncef Marzouki’s party, which is Ennahda’s center-left ally in the governing coalition. | Ms. Badi belongs to President Moncef Marzouki’s party, which is Ennahda’s center-left ally in the governing coalition. |