Dignity March grows from 23 to more than 120 as Tunisia’s economic crisis deepens and promise of better life fades
Graduates march for work
Cherine Ghanmi graduated from university in 2012 expecting her degree to help lift her family out of poverty. More than a decade later, she remains unemployed and says she still depends on her parents.
She joined the Dignity March, which began with 23 people and grew to more than 120, according to organisers. Participants paused because of exhaustion and injuries as they continued towards the capital. Ghanmi described the march as a way to express graduates’ disappointment after years of searching for jobs.
Promises and policy limits
Protesters’ demands reflect wider frustration about Tunisia’s economic and political direction, including unemployment and the struggle to afford basic needs. Cherif Khraifi, spokesperson for the Tunisian Union of Higher Education Graduates, said successive governments had not made economic conditions and social issues genuine priorities.
The article describes Law No. 38 as a 2022 measure intended to create an employment pathway for long-term unemployed graduates, but says implementation stalled because of financial constraints. It also says the law was dated December 22, 2025, published the next day and then entered into force, with phased recruitment planned over no more than three years. These dates conflict with the description of the law as a 2022 measure.
Services strain businesses
Khraifi argued that public-sector hiring alone cannot address unemployment at this scale. He said Tunisia also needs investment and businesses that can expand and hire, while limited capital and scarce jobs make starting businesses difficult in disadvantaged regions.
Poor infrastructure and unreliable public services can further deter investment and disrupt economic activity. Extreme heat this summer coincided with electricity cuts and water shortages in several areas, while Reuters reported that recurring outages were among the complaints at an October 17 demonstration.
Frustration reaches daily life
In L’Aouina, a northern suburb of Tunis, 20-year-old barber Khalil said he was waiting for a chance to leave the country by boat. He said his generation had carried the burden of repeated crises and that he planned to leave as soon as possible.
A neighbour who owns a grocery shop and asked not to be named said ongoing water supply problems had become exhausting. Ghanmi’s years without work have also brought hardship beyond financial strain.
Key points
- Cherine Ghanmi remains unemployed more than a decade after graduating in 2012.
- The Dignity March grew from 23 participants to more than 120, according to organisers.
- The article gives conflicting dates for Law No. 38, describing it as a 2022 measure and saying it entered force in December 2025.
- Electricity and water disruptions have added to public frustration and made business activity harder.