Study On Reform Of The Tunisia Personal Status Code

Tunisia "Personal Status Code (1956)" is enacted after independence .It's the first code on the protection of women's rights. Women themselves participate in the formulation of this law. The emancipation of women is the core idea through the whole code. The law is enacted to protect women's rights and to change the backward status of women. Practice has proved that "Personal Status Code" has achieved good results. This paper is divided into three parts and each part of the main contents is as follows:The first part is about background. In this part, the author will describe the social, political and historical background of reform about personal status law in North Africa region's and Tunisia. Under the Islamic religious tradition, women do not receive adequate protection. With the development of society, the African countries has realized that how to change the women's rights is very important to each country .After national independence, the African countries do many practices in this domain. Among them, the Tunisian Personal Status Code reform takes the first in Islamic countries. In 1956, "Personal Status Code" is enacted and this reform has a significant meaning.The second part demonstrates the content and features . This section describes the main content of "Personal Status Code", the lawmakers, several changes and the characteristics of this law. The law making body is the Tunisian national feminist and women's representatives. The law is made mainly related to marriage, family, inheritance, etc. the author will introduce the important articles and innovation of the code. The main features of this code are: (a) learn the advanced legislative technique and try to make some changes about the traditional teachings of Islam; (b) stress the legal protection and enhance the status of women.The third part describes impact and evaluation. First, this code enhances the status of women and is useful to national development. Second, the impact on Islamic countries is having a good model and on the non-Islamic countries is demonstrating a way about how to use the power of government and women organization in protection of women's rights. At last, the author will have brief comments on the shortcomings and the merits of the reform about "Personal Status Code".