Tunisia women herb harvesters struggle with drought and heat

Yet the harvesters say they have little choice but to struggle on, as there are few opportunities in a country hit hard by unemployment, inflation and high living costs. "There is a huge difference between the situation in the past and what we are living now," said Mabrouka Athimni, who heads a local collective of women herb harvesters named "Al Baraka" ("Blessing"). "We're earning half, sometimes just a third, of what we used to." Tunisia produces around 10,000 tonnes of aromatic and medicinal herbs each year, according to official figures.