Interviews with Sarah Ben Behia

My name is Sarah Ben Behia. I’m from Tunisia. I’m 25 years old. I’m a former law student. I’ve got my BA in legal, political, and social sciences from the law university in Tunisia, and then I specialized in the common law master, which is American law. And I’ve recently defended and submitted my dissertation, so I’ve graduated from law school after six years of studies. So, I will be working – I will be joining a law firm in Tunisia right after this program [Women’s Initiative Fellowship at the George W. Bush Institute].

Other than that, I’m an activist in Tunisia. My activism started like, three years ago. I’ve joined several associations, several nonprofits after the revolution – right after the [Jasmine] Revolution. I became an active member in the GID Association – GID is “Gens Independantes Démocrates” in French, meaning “Youth Independent Democrats,” which is a non-profit focused on spreading awareness on civic engagement – enhancing civic engagement, and spreading awareness among citizens about any crucial events happening to help them understand the situation, what is going on, how to make a change, how to participate in the decision-making process.

So I was an active member for one year, and then I – after satisfying some conditions, I was able to join the Executive Committee, so I was responsible for human resources within the organization, and then I ran for the presidency, so I’m now the president of the association.

[The Jasmine Revolution refers to the 2011 uprising in Tunisia that toppled the regime of the former dictator, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.]

Sarah Ben Behia is a Tunisian freedom activist.

Her passion for public service and volunteerism has landed her a position as a respected activist within the ranks of the civil society world. She has become an active member within the JID association (Youth Independent Democrats) and has been elected a member of the executive committee. During her involvement with the organization, Sarah has participated in several projects aimed at raising awareness among Tunisian citizens and helping the community to maintain the gains of the Tunisian Revolution.

Sarah believes that by promoting internationally recognized human rights, Tunisia can continue to make advances toward becoming a democratic society. Sarah’s projects were designed to establish fair and honest elections, encouraging the involvement of Tunisian youth in the decision-making process, as well as empowering women and their status in society.

Sarah has a Bachelor’s degree in Legal, Political and Social Sciences and recently obtained her Master’s degree in Common Law. She is also a member of the George W. Bush Institute’s 2014 Women’s Initiative Fellowship, a leadership program designed to empower and equip women to catalyze change.

Sarah continues to devote her time and energy to make a significant contribution to the development and the empowerment of her country and community.