Tunisia’s Lady
MacBeth Flees to
Dubai
16/01/2011
By:Sean Evers
Leïla Ben Ali, born Leïla Trabelsi
on 20 July 1957, is the wife of
Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the
former president of the Tunisian
Republic. She was the first lady of
Tunisia. She is the current
president of the Arab Women
Organization and chair of the
Basma Association, a charitable
organization working to secure
employment for the disabled. In
July 2010, Mrs. Ben Ali founded
SAIDA, to improve care for cancer
patients in Tunisia.
Laila, a feisty brunette more than
20 years his junior, who was
dubbed "The Regent of Carthage"
for her power behind the throne.
A former hairdresser from a
humble background, she stands
accused of using her marriage to
Mr Ben Ali to turn her family, the
Trabelsis, into the desert nation's
most powerful business clique.
Laila Ben Ali is the daughter of
Mohamed and Saïda Trabelsi. She
grew up as the only girl in a
family of 11 children. Prior to her
1992 marriage, she was a
hairdresser with little formal
education. Afterwards, she and
her family rose to prominent
positions in Tunisian business
and became noted for their
wealth.
First Lady of Tunisia
Philanthropy
Leila Ben Ali has been active in
philanthropy and humanitarian
work in her role as first lady. She
founded the Basma Association
in 2000 to help secure
employment for the disabled, and
has chaired the organization
ever since. Under her leadership
the association has provided
micro-finance loans, secured
employment for many and
opened a center for the disabled
in October 2010. The center
provides technical training in a
number of fields including
computer science, embroidery,
carpentry, theater and music.
The First Lady also started SAIDA,
an initiative to improve cancer
treatment, in 2010. She
frequently gives speeches, is
present at official ceremonies
and occasionally reads her
husband’s speeches. The first
lady regularly travels with the
president on official visits to
other countries. Mrs. Ben Ali is
also active in S.O.S. Gammarth
and El Karama, which provide
care for orphans and promote
and protect human rights,
respectively.
Arab Women Organization
As acting president of the AWO,
Leila Ben Ali has established the
Arab Women’s commission for
International Humanitarian Law
which serves to promote
international humanitarian law
by increasing awareness and
providing training programs for
governments and humanitarian
organizations. The first lady has
also made domestic violence
prevention a major priority of the
AWO, and has called for greater
public attention and reporting of
violence against women in the
home. In a recent interview in
Trends Magazine, the First Lady
asserted the importance of Arab
women in sustainable
development and bettering the
Arab women’s image were her
main objectives as president of
the AWO.
Awards
The first lady has been
recognized for her contributions
to these organizations in a
variety of publications. In 2000,
she was selected as the "World
Family Personality" and in 2003
deemed "Person of the Year" in
the Russian magazine The World
of the Woman, for her activities
to promote social welfare and
women's rights. More recently,
the first lady was chosen as one
of the world's 50 most influential
Arabs by Middle East Magazine, a
publication based in London. She
has been commended for her
work with the AWO to increase
women's capacity in all fields and
positions, and for increasing
cooperation among Arab states
on women's issues. The first lady
has also been recognized by the
World Association of Women
Entrepreneurs (FCEM) for her role
in empowering women in
economic development.
Corruption
Leila became a lightning rod for
dissatisfaction within a Tunisian
society disgusted with the rise of
her and her family, apparently for
the sole reason of their proximity
to the President. Two French
authors wrote an extensive book
titled "La regente de Carthage"
detailing the corruption of Leila,
her family and in-laws. According
to the French newspaper Le
Monde Diplomatique, Leila Ben Ali
symbolizes the "greed" of the
presidential family. An American
diplomatic cable leaked by
Wikileaks described how
Ambassador Robert F. Godec
often heard “barbs about their
lack of education, low social
status and conspicuous
consumption.” During the 2010–
2011 Tunisian protests, rioters
specifically targeted homes they
believed belonged to the Trabelsi
extended family.
Personal
The First Lady and President have
three children together: Nesrine,
Halima and Mohamed Zine el-
Abidine. In 2003, she went on a
pilgrimage to Mecca with her
two daughters, Nesrine and
Halima.
Tunisia Credit Rating
Downgrade
Fitch Ratings said it may
downgrade Tunisia's long-term
foreign currency credit rating of
BBB amid continued unrest
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