CIDEAL Foundation for Cooperation and Research

CIDEAL Foundation works in Tunisia since ten years ago where it has the Tunisian legal status. The Foundation has worked and has experience in several areas in Tunisia, like: Gender equality (equal opportunities, legal literacy, and women's rights Improvement of young people and women's employability and vocational training; Support to cooperatives, micro-enterprises and micro-projects; Economic development; and Civil Society strengthening. The most significant programs, before the revolution (January 2011), are as follows:
2004-2008: "Programme for Economic Integration and reduction of the social discrimination of the women in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia” (co-financed by Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID)). The main core of the programme was the promotion of production activities for women with a very low income level and in a marginalised situation in three countries of the Maghreb: Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Throughout this broad intervention, many productive, trade and work placement activities for women from rural areas and marginalised neighbourhoods of the outskirts have been supported. The project has also developed a specific component of institutional and organizational strengthening of local partners cooperating with CIDEAL. The following actions in Tunisia were as follow: 1. Income generation activities for women in Oum J´dour; 2. Income generation activities for women in Nefza.
2007-2012: “Promotion and representation of women in social and political spheres. Support to women organisations and promotion of their rights. Training in gender issues, capacity development, juridical literacy, training of young people and awareness campaign” (co-financed by Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID)). The project has aimed at enhancing the capacities and autonomy of women in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania with particular attention on the exchange of experiences and the promotion of coordination frameworks among organizations of women in the four countries. In Tunisia, the project was favouring training and education activities for women in civil values and also the strengthening of organizations working with women: 320 qualified women and 250 local actors who were aware of gender issues; 10 associations strengthened thanks to training on the integration of gender approach and gender equity in the identification and execution of actions oriented to women.
After the revolution, CIDEAL Foundation has continued working on the promotion of human and women rights and civil society strengthening. The main projects implemented and being implemented after the revolution and which we believe they are contributing to a more democratic transition are:
2011-2013: “Promotion of equality through the strengthening of civil society and the participation of citizens in the democratic processes in the north-west area of Tunisia” (co-financed by European Union). The project has aimed to contribute to the development of a political, democratic and associative culture after the spring revolution. The main objective of the project has been to promote gender equality through the capacity building of the Tunisian civil society and the citizen’s participation in the democratic process. Some of the main activities developed during the implementation of the project have been: citizen awareness campaign, micro-project funding focused on human rights, cultural activities such film projections and last but not least women empowerment activities such as legal trainings.
2013-2016: “Prevention of gender based violence and support for women victims of violence in the north-west of Tunisia” (co-financed by European Union). The overall objective of this project is to Contribute to the fight against gender-based violence in the north west of Tunisia.
The intervention is carried out in the governorates of Kef , Beja and Jendouba, among the most marginalized women in the country where the support to women victims of violence remains very limited.  This project, we believe is contributing to a more democratic society where violence against women is little by little considering a violation of human right. The project through the different activities is facing the  social taboos about violence against women in very traditional society, standardization of this phenomenon as well as skills shortages and prejudices legal, social or medical institutions.
Lastly, CIDEAL Foundation has achieved an UN Women grant to implement a project called “Manara Center”.
2016 – 2018: “Manara Center” (financed by UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women). The main objective of this project is that survivors of violence against women who access to Manara Center and the service providers (health and policy) services in the governorate of Kef experience an improvement in their security, health and wellness. The project will work:  i) to improve the service providers and Manara Center’ capacities; ii) to promote the adhesion of rural women and men to “tolerance 0 to violence against women”