Tunis — The newly established Houriya Feminist Radio seeks to strengthen women’s participation in public life, challenge stereotypes, and foster a creative and reflective space through free and diverse media content.

Launched on Thursday, October 9, by the “Voices of Women” Association, Houriya represents an alternative media space focused on women’s and young women’s issues, promoting their visibility in public affairs. The project is supervised by a group of students from the association’s Feminist School as part of their university graduation project. This digital platform aims to shed light on women’s struggles and provide an unprecedented outlet for feminist movements and Tunisian university youth.

Safaa Al-Bayari, the project coordinator of Houriya at the association, explained that the radio will be an inclusive, free, and committed space dedicated to deconstructing gender stereotypes and opening dialogue on issues related to gender, social justice, and individual freedoms. She emphasized the importance of giving committed female voices the opportunity to share their stories of struggle for women’s freedom while creating a space for critical thinking and creativity.

She also noted that Houriya is the first feminist radio station in Tunisia, providing a safe environment where women can express themselves freely—countering patriarchal and conservative discourse that still dominates much of traditional media. “Houriya is the voice of Tunisian women, a unifying platform that reclaims their narratives, telling their stories and pain in their own words and from their own perspectives,” she said.

Amani Al-Amayri, the communication officer at Voices of Women, stressed that launching the first feminist web radio aims to offer a transparent and secure space for women to speak freely, free from censorship and pressure. “The importance of this platform lies in providing women with a safe place to voice their concerns and to resist together—loudly and collectively—in a media space that belongs to them, through various journalistic forms,” she explained.

She added that the idea for Houriya emerged from students of the association’s Feminist School, which began in 2021 and continues to train young women to carry the torch forward and pursue the struggle for equality.

Meanwhile, journalist and women’s rights advocate Ibtihal Al-Shamikh emphasized that although Tunisia has strong legal frameworks protecting women from all forms of violence and discrimination, there is still a pressing need for feminist media spaces that showcase and address women’s issues. She described the launch of Tunisia’s first feminist web radio as “a remarkable initiative worthy of support,” adding that it has the potential to serve as “a true voice for women, helping their stories and demands reach the public—not only on special occasions like International Women’s Day or the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, but throughout the year.”

She concluded that the station could become a powerful ally for women’s causes, free from censorship or gender-based marginalization, and—with the right approach—reach every woman, everywhere.