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Social and economic development: Dual goals of equal importance
In many developing countries, the increase in the creation of wealth benefits the elite while the rest of the population remains impoverished. The international community is now more aware of the issue of poverty around the world. The initiatives taken by the G8 and multilateral organizations to reduce the debt burden have been welcomed in the developing world.
Over the past 10 years some developed nations, among them the United States, have experienced unsurpassed growth. During the same period of time, poverty has touched an additional 100 million around the world while the amount of international aid for development has decreased by 20 percent since 1992. Within this context, the challenges for developing nations are greater than ever. In the face of globalization, there is often a tradeoff between the adoption of stringent measures to make an economy more competitive and the welfare of a people. The difficulty lies in making the changes in the right amount and at the right time so as to cause minimal harshness on the population and to avoid social unrest and wars.
Tunisia’s policy
Tunisia has understood from the beginning of its modern history that social and economic developments go hand in hand. As defined by the United Nations, human development is a process that opens wider possibilities to each person. Three conditions must be present: a long and healthy life, the acquisition of knowledge and the access to necessary resources to enjoy an acceptable standard of living.
The United Nations has recognized the results of this policy as one of the best in the developing world. Last month, a Euro-Mediterranean conference on solidarity and human development was held in Tunis. Two hundred fifty representatives from 23 countries in Europe, Africa and the Arab World attended the summit. Tunisia presented the results of its program of local human development. This program was partially financed by Italy following a bilateral agreement signed in 1997.
Tunisia’s achievements
Tunisia has sustained an average annual rate of growth of 5 percent over the past 10 years. The rate of poverty stood at 40 percent in the 1960s. Today, poverty afflicts only 6 percent of Tunisians. The majority of the population now belongs to the middle class. Eighty percent own their own home, a rate not even achieved in the United States. Education is now compulsory for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 16. It is free at all studies levels. The adult literacy rate (15 years of age and more) reached 69 percent in 1997 against 16 percent in 1960. Health services have been improved and are now available to all remote areas. All children are vaccinated. Tunisians have a life expectancy of 72 years today compared to 51 years in 1966.
Birth rate has decreased to 1.2 percent. The rate of electrification in rural areas has reached 87 percent and 80 percent of the population has access to potable water.
The tools for success
To attain the dual goals of social and economic development, Tunisia has throughout the years put in place programs to benefit critical areas such as social policy, education, women and health. Tunisia’s social policy has established the foundation to promote the development of the country and alleviate poverty.
The National Solidarity Fund
The National Solidarity Fund (FSN, commonly called fund 26-26 from the number of the postal account in which money is deposited) is a special fund created by President Ben Ali in 1993 to help finance interventions for low-income populations and rural areas that lack essential infrastructure and services. The fund was created after an unofficial visit by the president to some impoverished regions of Tunisia. Fund 26-26 receives money from individuals and public and private enterprises, the state, national and foreign nongovernmental organizations and institutions. Between 1993 and 1999, the FSN has intervened in 1,232 impoverished zones, benefiting more than 171,000 families with a total cost of about $430 million of which about $53 million went toward creating micro-projects.
In addition to benefiting impoverished areas, the social policy aims to improve the conditions of vulnerable populations such as the elderly, the handicapped, the children and those with special needs.
For example, mobile teams have been created in six governorates to provide social and medical assistance for the elderly who live with their families. Programs have been set up to educate and train the handicapped and encourage their employment.
Education as the key to success
Education has been one of Tunisia’s basic tenant for development since its independence in 1956. President Habib Bourguiba, the father of the nation, first made education universally available. President Ben Ali reinforced measures along the same line. This policy has resulted in an enrollment rate of 99 percent for children aged 6. Remarkable progress has been made in the enrollment of girls. Access to higher education has widened with the creation of additional universities and high-level institutions such and the National Institute for Applied Science and Technology.
Women
The status of women in Tunisia has been given special consideration since the inception of the Code of Personal Status in 1956. This code was revolutionary for its time and reorganized the family based on the equality of rights. Since then, new laws have been enacted and the situation has improved for women in different areas such as civil rights, health coverage, education and labor force.
Better health care for all
The Tunisian health care system is formed of three components, the public sector, the parastatal sector and the private sector. The entire population is guaranteed access to the system. The share of the gross domestic product devoted to health in Tunisia increased from 4.3 percent in 1987 to 6.2 percent in 1997. Tunisia is now upgrading its health system to international standards. The country has implemented a new program to retrain the public health facility staff. Physicians, pharmacists and dentists have received incentives to participate in national and international scientific events.
The challenge that lies ahead
In spite of the obvious improvements, some problems persist. Unemployment is high at around 15 percent. Job creation has become the government’s highest priority. A new fund called 21-21 has been created. It will help create job opportunities and further adjust training and educational programs to the needs of the job market.
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Table of Contents A crash course in 3000 years of world history |
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A challenging global context
Under the leadership of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia has emphasized social development based on a strategy of correlation between economic development and the development of different areas such as education, health and the status for women. To illustrate this priority, the country’s first World Bank-funded project in 1960 was for education; so was the 100th project in 1997. To date, the World Bank has funded more than 120 projects in Tunisia. Most have been geared to educational programs, environmental protection and water resources management.