Tunis, Tunisia – Like many Tunisian university graduates, Cherine Ghanmi believed a degree would offer her family a way out of poverty. Growing up in the marginalised town of al-Mazzunah, in the central Sidi Bou Zid governorate, Ghanmi had walked 5km (3.1 miles) to the school her parents struggled to put her through. They hoped she would eventually find a job and support them financially, easing their burden after years of sacrifice.
But more than a decade after graduating in 2012, she remains unemployed. Instead of supporting her parents, she says, she continues to rely on them. On September 27, unemployed university graduates began a roughly 300km (186-mile) march from Menzel Bouzaiane in central Tunisia towards the capital, Tunis, to demand jobs and the implementation of legislation intended to provide a clear path to public-sector employment.
Known as the “Dignity March”, it began with 23 participants, according to organisers. More graduates joined along the route, with the coordinating committee later estimating that the number had grown to more than 120. The journey was physically demanding.
Participants paused at points because of exhaustion and injuries before continuing towards the capital. On October 6, police blocked the group from moving forward in the town of Borj Cedria, south of Tunis. Participants said they were told they could travel individually, but not as a group.
The marchers had hoped to reach the Tunis suburb of Carthage, where the presidential palace is located, to press their demands. For Ghanmi, “the Dignity March was not just a march”, she said, describing it as an expression of the hardship and disappointment experienced by graduates who had spent years searching for work. Many protesters say they have waited years for promises of public-sector recruitment to translate into real opportunities.
Their demands came amid broader discontent over Tunisia’s economic and political direction. On October 17, thousands gathered in Tunis to protest against President Kais Saied’s government, deteriorating living conditions and restrictions on freedoms. The demonstration, led by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), opposition groups and civil society organisations, was among the largest against Saied in years.
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