Female Farm Workers in Tunisia are Being Overworked and Underpaid

58% of female farm workers in Tunisia, are paid between 10 and 15 dinars per day, according to a survey on women working in the Tunisian agricultural sector. The same survey found that 30% of these women earn less than 10 dinars daily, while 12% of them get more than 15 dinars each day.

This survey conducted by the Kairouan Local Democracy Agency on a sample of 600 female farm workers and 300 farmers in the governorates of Airouan, Sidi Bouzid and Mahdia), reveals that this low pay is the result of the state's inability to protect these social group

The same survey points out that these women are carrying out strenuous activities in this field.

Actually, 66% of the surveyed farmers think that these women could carry out all the agricultural activities.

Indeed, 57% of them believe that the use of female agricultural workers is explained by the lack of male workers. 27% consider that women are more productive than men, while 16% stated that they prefer female workers, given that they accept lower wages than those requested by men.

Moreover, the survey indicated that 45% of these women work less than 100 days a year, which is equivalent to two days of work per week, while only 24% of them work more than 200 days a year.

As far as transport is concerned, 61% of these women said that they go to work by hiring "special drivers," while 39% of them claim that their employers provide transportation.

In terms of social welfare coverage, only 31% of these women are covered by a social security fund.

71% of these women have not joined the new social welfare system "Protect me (E7mini)," given the instability of their work.

59% of these women say that they were victims of violence in farms. 40% of them indicated that they had been subject to moral violence (insults, contempt...), while 31% of them claim they had been victims of verbal violence and 29% of physical violence, the same survey reveals.

Source: Tunis Afrique Presse