Tunisia: Five Years After Law 58

In 2017, Tunisia adopted one of the most progressive legal frameworks to combat various forms of domestic violence against women in the Middle East and North Africa. While Law-58 on the Elimination of Violence Against Women provided comprehensive prevention, protection, and prosecution mechanisms as well as support services for survivors, Human Rights Watch found that implementation has been insufficient to protect women from domestic violence. Impact is limited because paltry resources have been allocated; complainants continue to encounter dissuasive attitudes from authorities; and bottlenecks in the judiciary system diminish the prospect of obtaining justice. The report recommends measures Tunisia should take if it is to end the impunity men enjoy for abusing women in their homes.