Before May 2011, the name Wided Bouchamaoui did not mean a lot for many Tunisians. Back then Bouchamaoui exceptionally assumed the presidency of The Federation of Industry, Trade and Artisanship (UTICA) – a business lobby – under extremely difficult conditions characterized by a tense popular mood in which the business community was viewed as demonic, a corrupt collective of mainly men allied with the Ben Ali dictatorship to plunder the wealth of the country.

Before May 2011, the name Wided Bouchamaoui did not mean a lot for many Tunisians. Back then Bouchamaoui exceptionally assumed the presidency of The Federation of Industry, Trade and Artisanship (UTICA) – a business lobby – under extremely difficult conditions characterized by a tense popular mood in which the business community was viewed as demonic, a corrupt collective of mainly men allied with the Ben Ali dictatorship to plunder the wealth of the country.

But the courage of Bouchamaoui and her ability to lead the organization ever since has garnished her several accolades and much recognition. Last June, she received the G8 Deauville Partnership 2013 Women in Business Award, granted to women in the Arab world in recognition of their contribution to economic growth.

G8 award

“I was happy because the Tunisian economy needs to be charged with such moral recognition,” Bouchamaoui told Correspondents.

“When I took the responsibility of the Union’s presidency in these difficult circumstances, my concern was not to become known or to seek fame.  I wanted to perform my duty in saving the Tunisian economy from collapsing at the critical moment of the revolution which caused confusion to us all,” adds Bouchamaoui, 52, from Gabes.

Those who know Bouchamaoui say she doesn’t know the meaning of  ‘impossible’, and she has no fear of ‘adventure’. “This self-confidence gives me the power to overcome difficulties and obstacles,” says the industry shaper herself.

The accolades keep coming too. Last month French Pan-African weekly Jeune Afrique highlighted and profiled Bouchamaoui as one of the Top 25 Business Women in Africa.

Ties to former regimes

Critics meanwhile point to Bouchamaoui’s personal wealth and accuse her of having ties with pre-Arab Spring regimes across North Africa. Tunisian media have alleged that Bouchamaoui family’s company, the Hadi Bouchamaoui Group, which has investments in industry and oil and gas exploration, is involved in suspicious oil deals and in financial and administrative corruption with the former regimess in Tunisia and Libya, as well as in Syria, Algeria and the Gulf States.

A year ago, the honorary chair of the Executive Board of the Association of Tunisian Judges and the President of the Tunisian Observatory for the Independence of the Judiciary (OTIM), Ahmed Rahmouni, raised a controversy on the occasion of the Judicial Movement (the annual occasion for transferring judges) when he said in a press conference that the Minister of Justice appointed the husband of Widad Bouchamaoui, the President of UTICA, as Public Prosecutor of the Republic although he “lacks competence and experience.”

Rahmouni hinted that the government courts the Bouchamaoui family in order to gain the trust of UTICA President Bouchamaoui, leader of the most powerful economic institution in the country.

Business climate suffering from “blackmail” culture

“This is the tax I pay for my success,” retorts Bouchamaoui. “This is not the right time for the exchange of accusations. Today is the time for work and for national reconciliation in order to avoid a financial disaster, bankruptcy and economic failure in Tunisia.”

The industry leader told Correspondents that the business climate is being ruined by the government’s witchhunt of businessmen linked to Ben Ali. “The files of the businessmen should be settled once and for all in order to ensure a climate of reconciliation with them which would urge them to invest in the country and boost the economy,” says Bouchamaoui. She adds that the possibility for government agencies to blackmail businessmen for new licenses is a danger in the current climate.

Iron Lady of Tunisia?

While Bouchamaoui wrestles with the fragile economic recovery, members of the opposition are pushing for the ‘Iron Lady’, as she is nicknamed, to run for president. She is among the prominent names nominated by the National Salvation Front for the position of prime minister and she is well respected by the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), the largest labour union in Tunisia.

So far she has denied she will stand for president. “i am busy with my role of wrestling with the economy and want to stay away from the game of politics,” Bouchamaoui told Correspondents.