Tunisia's single mothers still struggle to overcome stigma
Although Tunisia is in many ways a relatively liberated country, its legislation is slower to adapt than its gradually modernizing society and many conservative values still prevail.
The situation of unmarried mothers, faced with a delicate dilemma and deprived of rights, makes a telling allegory for modern Tunisia — a country increasingly liberated but that still promotes conservative values.
On one side, the mere existence of unmarried mothers breaks the great taboo of premarital sex. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center from 2013, 89% of Tunisians say sex outside of marriage is “morally wrong.”
