Tunisia new PM, first Arab woman tasked with forming government: Who is Najla Bouden?

Tunisia new PM, first Arab woman tasked with forming government: Who is Najla Bouden?

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied named on Wednesday Najla Bouden Romdhane as the first woman prime minister in the country’s and the Arab world’s history.

Saied tasked Romdhane, a political unknown, with forming a government within the next few days.

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Her appointment comes two months after Saied dismissed the previous prime minister, suspended parliament and assumed executive authorities in a move described by his opponents as a coup.

Who is Najla Bouden Romdhane?

She is 63 years old; born in 1958 in Kairouan, Tunisia.

She holds a doctorate in geology From Paris School of Mines in earthquake engineering.

She is a higher education professor at the Tunis National School of Engineering, according to state news agency TAP.

She served as the World Bank's Program Implementation Officer at Tunisia’s Ministry of Higher Education.

In 2016, she was head of the management by objectives unit for the implementation of the higher education reform project.

In 2011, she was appointed Director General in charge of Quality at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Mixed reactions

Saied emphasized that his appointment of Romdhane is “historic” and described it as an “honor for Tunisia and an homage to Tunisian women.”

However, the appointment