- Title: Tunisian woman doctor becomes face of new 10 dinar banknote
- Date: 5th April 2020
- Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (APRIL 1, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TUNISIAN CENTRAL BANK WORKER COUNTING NEW BANKNOTES BEARING FACE OF TUNISIAN WOMAN DOCTOR, TAWHIDA BEN CHEIKH WORKER UNPACKING NEW SET OF BANKNOTES VARIOUS OF NEW 10 DINAR BANKNOTES SHOWING BEN CHEIKH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE GENERAL FUND, ABDELAZIZ BEN SAID, SAYING: "On March 27, a 10 dinar paper, class 2020 was presented for circulation, and the main character, doctor Tawhida Ben Cheikh, was chosen for several reasons. Firstly, she was chosen for the continued trend of selecting contemporary figures. Secondly, she was chosen as a way of honouring women in the scientific and medical fields." MACHINE COUNTING NEW BANKNOTES NEWLY PRINTED BANKNOTES VARIOUS RESEARCHER OF TUNISIAN HERITAGE, ABDESSATAR AMAMOU, HOLDING HISTORY BOOK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESEARCHER OF TUNISIAN HERITAGE, ABDESSATAR AMAMOU, SAYING: "She (Tunisian doctor Tawhida Ben Cheikh) returned to Tunisia in the early thirties, in 1936, and opened a clinic. She was the first Tunisian, Arab, and North African doctor to practice this profession. Then she opened her clinic to all people - rich, poor, Tunisian or foreigners, women and men. She was known for having a big heart. Then she continued her career until the last moment in her life, loving her profession and her country." SERVING WINDOW AT CENTRAL BANK SAMPLE OF NEW BANKNOTE ON WINDOW (SOUNDBITE) (French) RESEARCHER OF TUNISIAN HERITAGE, ABDESSATAR AMAMOU, SAYING: "She continued to love, participate and give more of her life to medicine and to Tunisia. I believe that Tunisians pay tribute to this great lady, the first female doctor in the Arab world. They decided to publish a banknote of ten dinars which shows the face of this great doctor, madam Tawhida Ben Cheikh." TUNIS, TUNISIA (APRIL 3, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TUNISIANS CASHING OUT MONEY FROM ATM TUNIS, TUNISIA (APRIL 4, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CITIZEN, HAMID OMRI, SAYING: "This is a great initiative by the Central Bank. By particularly dedicating the banknote to Tawhida Ben Cheikh, the first Arab female doctor, it shows the support for medical staff amidst the coronavirus. Hopefully other (countries) will follow in her footsteps." TUNIS, TUNISIA (APRIL 3, 2020) (REUTERS) WORKER TAKING OUT NEW BANKNOTES FROM CASHIER MACHINE NEW BANKNOTES IN CASHIER MAN BUYING GOODS WITH NEW BANKNOTE MAN TAKING BANKNOTE VARIOUS OF STREETS
- Embargoed: 19th April 2020 10:59
- Keywords: Banknotes Central Bank Doctors Tunisia Women
- Location: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- City: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001C87S5ZP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The face of Tunisian woman doctor Tawhida Ben Cheikh is now printed on a new banknote, possibly giving the North African country the lead in taking such initiative among Arab states.
Tunisian Central Bank issued on Friday (March 27) the new 10 dinar bill showing the portrait of the country's first woman doctor, with the aim of recognising women in scientific and medical fields.
Born an orphan in 1909, Ben Cheikh was the first Tunisian and North African woman to practice medicine.
After studying in France, Ben Cheikh returned to Tunisia in 1936 and opened her own clinic, a practice primarily dominated by men at the time.
She contributed to the country's cultural life by establishing the first Tunisian, French-speaking magazine for women called "Leila" from 1936 to 1941, among other activities.
The Central Bank's decision, says the General Director of the Tunisian General Fund, Abdelaziz Ben Said, was driven by an attempt to honour contemporary female figures who also excelled in the field of science and medicine.
The new banknote is currently in use, and is widely accepted as a positive step forward for the North African country.
(Production: Jihed Abidellaoui, Nadeen Ebrahim) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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