Emna Mizouni’s journey to inspiring girls and documenting Tunisia’s heritage
When Emna Mizouni set off to document the heritage of Tunisia after the Arab Spring, she and her team of volunteers didn’t have it easy. The resistance they faced only fueled the passion to show some of the best parts of their country. She speaks to Inspiring Open’s Betty Kankam-Boadu .
The expressions “change-maker” and “role model” have often been thrown around without situating them into the proper context but if there’s anyone who embodies these words, it’s certainly the profound Emna Mizouni.
Mizouni has spent much of her adult life inspiring girls in Tunisia and helping to restore the country’s identity through the preservation of its culture and heritage.
Her activism and dedication to making Tunisia a better, more inclusive place has been acknowledged nationally and internationally, but she remains grounded, knowing very well that there is still a lot more to do.
Mizouni’s resolve to effect change stems from experiences during her childhood, where she witnessed many girls being restricted from engaging in communal activities. That form of discrimination and chauvinism, she says, still lingers.
“From my work with adolescent girls, I’ve realised that some are not allowed to have smartphones just because they are girls,” she said on the Inspiring Open podcast. “She’s not a priority in the house even if she’s the eldest. A boy who’s five years younger might get much more [respect] than her.”
By her nature, Mizouni says she is unable to stand discrimination, injustice and the treatment of women as second-class humans. It was through these strong convictions that Digital Citizenship, an initiative for the digital inclusion of women and girls, was birthed.
Mizouni combines her work as a women’s rights advocate with her role as founder of Carthagina, an organisation which documents Tunisian history and heritage for future generations. In the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2011, Tunisia’s culture and heritage suffered an identity crisis. Mizouni, therefore, set out to change that.
Then working as an intern at a bank, she didn’t like that space much and her demand for change led her into activism. With her background in marketing and communication, as well as management and business administration, she channelled everything into the formation of Carthagina.
Passionate about history and good at using social media to start conversations, the goal was to document and preserve Tunisia’s history and heritage.
“I’ve always had a passion for history since I was a kid,” she reveals. “All of that, combined with the crisis we were living in after the revolution in Tunisia, contributed to it.
“Whether we were Arabs or African or Nazir or Muslims or Christians. All of those religions and identities and civilisations across the country when we were writing the 2014 constitution; all of that was an incentive to have something that addresses the identity crisis that we were living in.
“And here came the idea of Carthagena. I had it as an idea. I spoke to friends, who are the co-founders, and we ended up making it happen.”
So far, it has been a fulfilling journey for Mizouni and all those involved in the Carthagina project. Although some historians and government officials didn’t take them seriously at first, the organisation’s impact in various communities has piqued interest.
“This is something you do out of love and people were dedicated to it. When you’re so dedicated, it attracts the community to you,” she said of the progress made so far.
Mizouni is on a mission to change the misconceptions about Tunisia. According to her, the average Tunisian kid is raised with the values of “humility, how you don’t lie to people, how you respect, how you accept others. The first principle is to not harm anyone, do good for yourself, your family and the community.”
“Whoever is following Tunisia’s news online might be depressed from the political and social unrest the country has been going through, but the other reality and the other side of life in Tunisia is really something beautiful.
“We have the sun, we have the beach, we have the mountain and everything, but also it’s challenging because of everyday life. On the side, the good thing about Tunisia is the warmth of the people, the very rich history, and there are plenty of things to adore. “
Mizouni is also a huge advocate of open culture and open knowledge, as she believes people from developing countries aren’t privileged enough to have access to good education and access to knowledge. Her dream is to have a society where knowledge is made available and free to everyone.
“Open knowledge is negotiating for making your knowledge exist, making sure that the richness of our knowledge, mainly oral knowledge, is well-documented for future generations. That’s really my motive for being an advocate and for working harder for this,” she noted.
As a woman creating change and inspiring young girls, Mizouni admits she has often faced online abuse, insults and threats. She, however, takes consolation in the fact that there are people who believe in what she’s doing and are always available to support her.
“I’ve been so blessed to have a lot of women in my network that would be my support network. Women mentors and women friends that push me and make me feel I’m worth it and that I deserve to be there. They really help me in my career.”
In 2019, Mizouni was awarded by Jimmy Wales as Wikimedian of the Year, while she was also a UN Women Yvonne-Hebert Awardee in 2020. For such a dedicated change-maker, it’s fair to say she deserves everything and more.
Post a comment: