->Simeon: Importing Wikidata short description: "Tunisian politician" (Shortdesc helper)

2021-12-22T16:16:34Z

Importing Wikidata short description: "Tunisian politician" (Shortdesc helper)

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{{Short description|Tunisian politician}}
{{orphan|date=March 2017}}
'''Sonia Toumia''' (born June 2, 1976) is a [[Tunisia]]n politician who was a member of the [[Constituent Assembly of Tunisia|constituent assembly]] from 23 October 2011 until it was dissolved on 26 October 2014. The representative of the [[Islamist]] party [[Ennahdha]] for the [[Monastir, Tunisia|Monastir]] riding, she was known for her humorous interventions during plenary sessions.

==Early life and education==
Toumia is a graduate of the [[Institute of Press and Information Sciences]].<ref name=BN>{{cite web|language=French|url=http://www.businessnews.com.tn/Sonia-Toumia--jai-perÃ§u-la-diffusion-de-ces-anciennes-photos-comme-une-Â«-dÃ©nudation-Â»--(vidÃ©o),520,36642,3|title=Sonia Toumia : j'ai perçu la diffusion de ces anciennes photos comme une " dénudation "|work=Business News|date=1 March 2013|accessdate=19 March 2017}}</ref>

==Career==
Toumia worked at the Ministry of Agriculture for ten years, as well as writing articles for the newspaper ''L'Agruculteur'' and other publications.<ref name=BN/> In 2009, she became a member of the [[Democratic Constitutional Rally]], but she said in 2013 that she was sacked because of her refusal to praise the [[Zine El Abidine Ben Ali|regime]].<ref name=BN/><ref>{{cite web|language=French|url=http://www.businessnews.com.tn/Le-passÃ©-RCDiste-de-Sonia-Toumia-remonte-Ã%C2%A0-la-surface-%28vidÃ©o%29,520,36627,3|title=Le passé RCDiste de Sonia Toumia remonte à la surface |work=Business News|date=1 March 2013|accessdate=19 March 2017}}</ref>

After the [[Tunisian Revolution|2011 revolution]], Toumia joined Ennahdha and was on the list of candidates for the Monastir riding at the [[2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election|2011 election]]. As a member of the constituent assembly, she became known for her humorous interventions during sessions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessnews.com.tn/details_article.php?temp=1&t=520&a=35234|title=Anecdote du jour: Une élue à l'ANC propose un club où se rencontrent les martyrs |language=French|work=Business News|date=20 December 2012|accessdate=19 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kapitalis.com/politique/14617-sonia-toumia-une-humoriste-a-l-assemblee-tunisienne.html|title=Sonia Toumia : une humoriste à l'Assemblée tunisienne|work=Kapitalis|date=21 February 2013|accessdate=19 March 2017|first=Karim|last=Ben Slimane}}</ref> While many of her fellow female Islamist MPs only used [[classical Arabic]], Toumia made comments in [[French language|French]], earning public mockery for her accent and lack of proficiency in the language, and leading to the party leaders asking her to stay away from the media.<ref>{{cite book|page=134|title=Discourse, Politics and Women as Global Leaders|first1=John|last1=Wilson|first2=Diana|last2=Boxer|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|year=2015|isbn=9789027267979|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V1vPCgAAQBAJ}}</ref> During the drafting of the [[Constitution of Tunisia|new constitution]], Toumia was indignant when lawyers described the draft as a step backward for women, arguing that it had been misunderstood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/fa/contents/articles/politics/2012/08/tunisia-a-debate-over-the-consti.html|title=Tunisians Fear Constitution Draft Is Step Backward for Revolution|work=Al-Monitor|date=26 August 2012|accessdate=19 March 2017|first=Monia|last=Ben Hamadi}}</ref>

On 8 August 2014, Toumia announced that she had been removed from Ennahdha's lists for the [[2014 Tunisian parliamentary election|forthcoming election]] saying that her "only wrong was her frankness, her courage and her imprint on the National Constituent Assembly."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessnews.com.tn/details_article.php?a=48567&t=520&lang=fr&temp=3|title=Ecartée des listes législatives d'Ennahdha, Sonia Ben Toumia s'effondre en pleurs|date=8 August 2014|accessdate=19 March 2017|work=Business News|language=French}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2014/08/08/sonia-toumia-pleure_n_5662404.html|language=French|first=Saida|last=Ounissi|work=Al Huffington Post|title=Ecartée des listes électorales d'Ennahdha, Sonia Toumia fond en larmes et demande pardon aux Tunisiens|date=8 August 2014|accessdate=19 March 2017}}</ref> As of 2016, she was working for the Ministry of Agriculture, and argued that she and four colleagues had not been promoted due to animosity toward her.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shemsfm.net/fr/actualites_shems-news/129455/sonia-toumia-adresse-un-message-au-ministere-des-finances-129455|language=French|title=Sonia Toumia adresse un message au ministère des Finances|date=4 January 2016|accessdate=19 March 2017|work=Shems FM}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Toumia is married and has three daughters. She is a [[Muslim]] and wears a [[hijab]].<ref name=BN/> In 2016, her brother, Sofiene Ben Toumia, was sentenced to 12 years in imprisonment for his role in recruiting young people to join [[terrorist]] groups.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.femmesmaghrebines.com/news/12-ans-de-prison-pour-sofiene-ben-toumia/|language=French|title=12 ans de prison pour Sofiène Ben Toumia|date=10 February 2016|accessdate=19 March 2017|work=Femmes Maghrebines}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://archivev2.mosaiquefm.net/fr/index/a/ActuDetail/Element/36532-sonia-toumia-je-ne-suis-pas-la-porte-parole-de-mon-frere?Source=RSS|title=Sonia Toumia : Je ne suis pas la porte-parole de mon frère|date=29 April 2014|accessdate=19 March 2017|work=Mosaisque.fm|language=French}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toumia, Sonia}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Tunisian women in politics]]
[[Category:Members of the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia]]
[[Category:Ennahda politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century women politicians]]

Sonia Toumia - Revision history

->Simeon: Importing Wikidata short description: "Tunisian politician" (Shortdesc helper)