Souad Abderrahim

Souad Abderrahim
Born	1964 Métouia, Tunisia
Occupation	Politician
Years active	2011–present
Known for	First female mayor of Tunis
Notable work	Chairperson of the parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms

Souad Abderrahim (born in 1964) is a Tunisian political figure affiliated with the Islamist Ennahda Movement. On July 3, 2018, she made history by becoming the first female to be elected as mayor of Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia.

Life

Originating from Métouia, Abderrahim completed her secondary education at Lycée Khaznadar near Tunis before pursuing medical studies at the Faculty of Medicine in Monastir, where she wore a veil. Early in her life, she became involved in activism, working alongside individuals such as Ajmi Lourimi and holding a position on the executive committee of the Tunisian General Union of Students (UGTE). Her political activities resulted in a 15-day incarceration in 1985 and further detentions due to her opposition to the regime in 1991. After leaving medical school, she returned to Monastir to study pharmacy.

Her official entry into politics occurred after the 2011 revolution. Following UGTE meetings with Ennahda leaders who invited her to join, she became a member of the party. On October 23, 2011, Abderrahim was elected to the Constituent Assembly as an Ennahda representative for Tunis and took on the role of chairperson for the parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms.

In a public discussion held in November 2011, she asserted that freedoms must be consistent with societal customs and morals, controversially criticizing single motherhood as detrimental to society. This viewpoint led to her being nicknamed "Souad Palin."

Abderrahim stood as Ennahda’s candidate for the municipal elections in Tunis in 2018. She secured the mayoralty on July 3 through a council vote of 26 to 22, becoming both the first woman and the first Arab woman to govern Tunis’s city administration.