publication

Tunisia's Amilat agrarian crises and the feminization of casual agricultural work

Authors:
Dhouha Djerbi
2024

In this chapter, Dhouha Djerbi revisits the debate on labor feminization within the context of Tunisian agriculture, which heavily relies on a predominantly female workforce, known as ‘Amilat, often cited as a prime example of the sector’s feminization. She contends that the concept needs to extend beyond merely denoting an increase in female participation in the agrarian labor force, and that its specific implications and historical lineages within the Tunisian case remain ambiguous. The chapter expands upon the concept of feminization, situating it within Tunisia's historical trajectory of agrarian crises, from colonial agrarian capitalism and post-colonial modernization to neoliberal agrarian speculation.