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Leïla Ben Ali

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Leïla Ben Ali
ليلى بن علي
Leila Ben Ali presides over a meeting of the Arab Women Organization, November 2010
2nd First Lady of Tunisia
In office
1992 – 14 January 2011
PresidentZine el-Abidine Ben Ali
Preceded byWassila Ben Ammar
Succeeded byVacant
Personal details
Born (1957-07-20) 20 July 1957 (age 67)
Tunis, Tunisia

Leïla Ben Ali (Template:Lang-ar, née Trabelsi; born 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 (AWO)[1][2] and chair of the Basma Association, a charitable organization working to secure employment for the disabled.[3] In July 2010, Mrs. Ben Ali founded SAIDA, to improve care for cancer patients in Tunisia.[1]

Family and education

Leïla Ben Ali is the daughter of Mohamed and Saïda Trabelsi. She has 10 brothers and sisters. Prior to her 1992 marriage to President Ben Ali, she was a hairdresser with little formal education.[4] After her romantic relationship and subsequent marriage (in 1992) to then Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, she and her family rose to prominent positions in Tunisian business and became noted for their greed, power, and ruthlessness. Laila Ben Ali and many of her relatives fled Tunisia to Saudi Arabia January 14, 2011, following the People's Revolution of Tunisia.[4]

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.[5] The center provides technical training in a number of fields including computer science, embroidery, carpentry, theater and music.[6]

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.[7][8]

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.[9] 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.[6]

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.[10] 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.[9] The first lady has also been recognized by the World Association of Women Entrepreneurs (FCEM) for her role in empowering women in economic development.[11]

Corruption

Leila became a lightning rod for dissatisfaction within a Tunisian society disgusted with the rise of her and her family.[4] Two French authors wrote an extensive book titled "La regente de Carthage" detailing the corruption of Leila, her family and in-laws.[12] According to the French newspaper Le Monde Diplomatique, Leila Ben Ali symbolizes the "greed" of the presidential family.[13] 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.[4] It was reported that Leila Ben Ali removed 1.5 tons of gold bars (worth about $65 million) from the Central Bank of Tunisia (representing a quarter of the Tunisian gold reserves) before fleeing the country when her husband was ousted on 14 January 2011;[14] however, the removal was denied by the bank.[15] The Swiss government announced that it was freezing millions of dollars held in bank accounts by her family.[16]

Personal

Leila Trabelsi Ben Ali and President Ben Ali have three children together: Nesrine (born out of wedlock; married to Mohammad Sakher El Materi), Halima and Mohamed Zine el-Abidine.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Template:FrTemplate:Ar"Mission". Association Saïda de Lutte contre le Cancer.
  2. ^ Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead.Arab Women Organization (AWO)
  3. ^ Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead."Who are we?". Association BASMA pour la Promotion de l'Emploi des Handicapés. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Kirkpatrick, David D. Behind Tunisia Unrest, Rage Over Wealth of Ruling Family. New York Times. January 13, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  5. ^ "Presidential couple inaugurates Basma Centre for the Integration of Disabled". Tunisia Online News. October 22, 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Tunisian First Lady Gives Exclusive Interview to "Arabies Trends" Magazine". The e-Seoul Post. June 1, 2009.
  7. ^ "What We Do". El Karama.
  8. ^ "SOS Children: Child Sponsorship Charity". Gammarth.
  9. ^ a b "Mrs. Leila Ben Ali Gives Interview to UPI". allAfrica.com. 11 March 2010.
  10. ^ "The World's 50 Most Influential Arabs". Middle East. May 1, 2010.
  11. ^ "FCEM World President Françoise Foning Activities 2005 - April 2008". World Association of Women Entrepreneurs.
  12. ^ Template:Fr [1]
  13. ^ Template:Fr Séréni, Jean-Pierre. "Le réveil tunisien" Le Monde Diplomatique. January 6, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  14. ^ Sparks, Ian (January 17, 2011). "Wife of Tunisian president fled riot-torn country with 1.5 TONNES of gold (that should help feed the son-in-law's pet tiger)". Mail Online, Daily Mail. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  15. ^ Dehghanpisheh, Babak and Dickey, Christopher (January 31, 2011 page=41). "Tunisia's Message". Newsweek. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Missing pipe in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Tunisia Issues Warrant for Arrest of Ousted Leader; BBC News, "Tracking down the Ben Ali and Trabelsi fortune", 30 January 2011

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