Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme2026 · Date · History · Messages
The Tunisian government FAQ lists Fête de la Femme on 13 August among holidays granting leave to state/public-sector personnel and cites Decree No. 2011-317; Tunisia’s Ministry of Justice separately documents the Personal Status Code as promulgated on 13 August 1956.
About Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme
Tunisia marks Women’s Day (Fête de la Femme) on 13 August, a date closely associated with the country’s post-independence Personal Status Code and the development of women’s legal status.
Tunisia’s government holiday guidance lists 13 August as Fête de la Femme for state, local-authority and public administrative personnel under Decree No. 2011-317.
Why Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme matters
The date is closely connected with the Personal Status Code promulgated on 13 August 1956, a major legal reform affecting marriage, divorce and family status.
A careful guide should distinguish the history of the commemorative day from the history of the Personal Status Code itself. The Code provides the clear date anchor, while the reviewed official sources do not establish a definitive first Women’s Day ceremony or a single original founding instrument for the observance.
History of Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme
Tunisia’s Ministry of Justice records that the Personal Status Code was promulgated by beylical decree on 13 August 1956 and entered into force on 1 January 1957.
The Code introduced major reforms in family law, including prohibition of polygamy, consent requirements for marriage and judicial divorce procedures.
Government holiday guidance later lists Fête de la Femme on 13 August among days granting leave to personnel of the state, local public authorities and public administrative establishments, citing Decree No. 2011-317 of 26 March 2011.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Promulgation of the Personal Status Code
The legal milestone supplies the historical date anchor for the 13 August women’s commemoration.
Includes Fête de la Femme on 13 August among days of leave for state, local-authority and public administrative personnel.
Government of Tunisia · Decree No. 2011-317
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
8 fields not established in reviewed sources
Predecessor and precursor observances
Earlier or merged observances are kept separate from former names and later institutional actions.
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
Also known as
Women’s and Family Day, Fête de la Femme
How to Observe Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme
Read the Personal Status Code history from Tunisian legal sources and distinguish its original 1956 provisions from later amendments.
Use the day to examine women’s legal, social, economic and political participation in Tunisia with current evidence rather than relying only on historical milestones.
Recognize achievements while also listening to contemporary Tunisian women and organizations about priorities that remain unresolved.
When describing holiday status, be precise about the public-sector framework supported by the reviewed government source.
Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme Facts
Tunisia’s Fête de la Femme is observed on 13 August.
The date coincides with the promulgation of the Personal Status Code on 13 August 1956.
The Personal Status Code entered into force on 1 January 1957.
Government guidance cites Decree No. 2011-317 of 26 March 2011 for public-sector holiday leave including Fête de la Femme.
The reviewed official sources do not establish a definitive first observance or original founding instrument for the commemorative day itself.
Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme Messages
On Tunisia’s Women’s Day, may historical reflection be matched by attention to the voices and priorities of women today.
Wishing women across Tunisia recognition, opportunity and respect on 13 August and throughout the year.
May Tunisia’s Women’s Day encourage informed reflection on both the country’s reform history and the work that continues today.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Government of Tunisia — public-holiday FAQ / Fête de la Femme (opens in a new tab)
National Government Holiday Guidance
Tunisia Ministry of Justice — promulgation of the Personal Status Code (opens in a new tab)
National Government Legal History
Tunisia Ministry of Justice — independence-era legal archive (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme?
13 August The documented recurrence rule is: 13 August each year within the cited Tunisian public-sector holiday framework..
Does Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Tunisia / public-sector holiday and women’s-rights commemoration associated with the Personal Status Code. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme?
The documented basis is: The Tunisian government FAQ lists Fête de la Femme on 13 August among holidays granting leave to state/public-sector personnel and cites Decree No. 2011-317; Tunisia’s Ministry of Justice separately documents the Personal Status Code as promulgated on 13 August 1956.. Supporting evidence includes Government of Tunisia — public-holiday FAQ / Fête de la Femme. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is Women’s Day (Tunisia) / Fête de la Femme international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to Tunisia. Its fuller verified scope is: Tunisia / public-sector holiday and women’s-rights commemoration associated with the Personal Status Code.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-11.
When is Women’s Day in Tunisia?
It is observed on 13 August.
Why is 13 August important in Tunisia?
Tunisia’s Ministry of Justice records that the Personal Status Code was promulgated on 13 August 1956, making the date a major landmark in the country’s legal history concerning women and family status.
Is 13 August a public holiday?
Government guidance lists Fête de la Femme as a day of leave for state, local-authority and public administrative personnel under Decree No. 2011-317. The reviewed source should not be generalized beyond that stated scope.
Other observances on August 13
These observances are also listed on August 13, 2027.
International Left-Handers Day
The Left-Handers Club states that it launched International Left-Handers Day on 13 August 1992 and continues to identify August 13 as the annual observance date.