Bardo — About 300 people protested, on Thursday, in front of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) to defend the rights of women and call for enshrining the principle of gender equality in the new Constitution.

Protestors, left wing activists and women's rights activists denounced the draft laws proposed by Ennahdha movement regarding this issue.

"It is out of question to ignore the gains of Tunisian women" warned Fathia Saidi, academic and member in the Tunisian Democratic Women Association (ATFD), adding that article 28 of the draft Constitution which raises the controversy of "complementarity" between men and women could lead to many interpretations and move backwards with women's rights, making them second-class citizens."

Several NCA members from the Republican Party, the Democratic and Social Voice, and Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties as well as party members not represented within the NCA joined this sit-in to express their solidarity with these claims.

NCA member from Ettakatol Party Slim Abdessalem accused Ennahdha movement to resort to "ambiguous" concepts and references, which represent according to him "a threat to the gains of Tunisian women and the Tunisian society as a whole".