Tunisia is set to give women equal inheritance rights after the country’s president on Monday proposed to table a law to that effect.
President Beji Caid Essebsi says a proposal for the said rights will be put before parliament.
On Saturday there were protests in front of the country’s parliament house against any changes to inheritance rules.
Thousands of women and men also rallied in central Tunis to demand a law granting women equal heritage rights
In Islam, males inherit twice as much as females. President Essebsi says Tunisia is a liberal country and must not be govern by such an Islamic law.
In a speech on a day being marked as women’s day in Tunisia, Essebsi said “I propose equality inheritance to become law”.
He however said families who wished to continue the allocation based on Islamic law would be allowed to do so.
The parliament will now decide on the bill.
Women continue to gain from series of reforms in the North African country since 2011.
Series of protest led to the toppling of former autocrat leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
Last year Tunisia allowed Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men.
Despite being a Muslim dominated country Tunisia is ruled by a coalition of moderate Islamists and secular forces.
Source: Africafeeds.com
