First Name: Rym
Last Name: Ben Ameur
Country: Tunisia
Education Level: National Diploma in Arts and Crafts, specialising in Art and Communication, from the Higher Institute of Fine Arts of Tunis, University of Tunis, Tunisia
Project Focus: Women’s Economic Empowerment | Handcrafted Product Design | Craftswomen Employment | Sustainable Home Decor | Tunisian Craftsmanship | International Market Access
I am a senior graphic designer specialized in visual design and illustration, helping craftswomen transform their traditional skills into distinctive and marketable handcrafted products by combining professional design expertise with creative craftsmanship, leading to greater visibility, stronger income opportunities, and increased financial independence.
In Tunisia, many craftswomen have valuable traditional skills but limited access to product design, market visibility, and sustainable income opportunities.
This affects women artisans and their households because strong craft skills do not always translate into well-designed products, stable work, or access to suitable clients and markets.
Today, this need is becoming more urgent due to economic pressure, gender inequality, and limited marketing opportunities. Existing solutions are often not accessible, not trusted, or not adapted to the real needs of craftswomen.
Through the MENA Impact Women programme, I developed the concept, positioning, and three-year development plan for Artizenie, a proposed impact-driven initiative designed to connect contemporary design with Tunisian craftsmanship.
The concept is to develop a collection of decorative and home products, including artworks, lighting pieces, wall textiles, rugs, cushions, curtains, and bed covers, designed by me and intended to be produced in collaboration with skilled craftswomen.
The initiative is intended to serve hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, cafés, companies, airports, and individual clients through distinctive products made with natural materials and rooted in Tunisian artistic identity.
Its proposed added value lies in combining my decades of experience in graphic design, visual concept development, and product design with traditional craftsmanship, contemporary aesthetics, and strong human relationships, creating the basis for high-quality products and stronger income opportunities for craftswomen.
This project matters today because many craftswomen possess valuable skills but lack the design support, visibility, and commercial opportunities needed to turn those skills into stable income.
At the same time, clients in Tunisia and international markets are increasingly interested in authentic, sustainable, and well-designed handcrafted products.
Artizenie responds to both needs by creating original products, presenting craftwork through strong visual storytelling, and connecting women artisans with residential and commercial markets.
By combining design, craftsmanship, and international market positioning, the initiative can contribute to women’s economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and sustainable creative growth.
I am Rym Ben Ameur, a senior graphic designer from Tunisia with experience in drawing, illustration, branding, editorial design, packaging, and handcrafted product development.
My work focuses on combining art, design, and traditional craftsmanship to create original products with both commercial and social value.
Through my participation in the MENA Impact Women programme, I developed the concept of Artizenie, an impact-oriented initiative that connects my creative expertise with the need to improve work and income opportunities for Tunisian craftswomen.
I believe that women’s creative skills, when supported by strong design, clear positioning, and access to markets, can become powerful tools for economic independence, cultural expression, and sustainable development.
Member of the MENA Impact Women Expert Network
Rym Ben Ameur is a member of the MENA Impact Women Expert Network, a regional network of women professionals, researchers and practitioners contributing expertise to research, strategic empowerment and initiatives that transform girls’ and women’s capabilities into opportunities across the MENA region.
Partnerships, collaborations, consulting assignments, research initiatives, training programmes and funded projects involving network members are coordinated through MENA Impact Women to ensure quality, contextual relevance, strategic alignment and collective impact.
For partnerships, collaborations and professional enquiries:
editor@menaimpactwomen.org