TUNIS — President Beji Caid Essebsi’s proposal to make inheritance rights equal for men and women has sparked heated debate over the role of religion in public policy as Tunisia begins gearing up for presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for November 2019.

On Aug. 13, National Women’s Day, Essebsi called on parliament to pass legislation amending the country’s inheritance law, which, as per Sharia, generally allots women half of what men receive. He added that exceptions could be made for those who opt for the application of Islamic law.

The proposal, which will likely be debated in parliament when it reconvenes in October, follows on the back of a controversial report issued by the Essebsi-appointed Individual Freedoms and Equality Committee (COLIBE), which first recommended the measure.

In addition to codifying equal inheritance, the report advocates abolishing the death penalty, decriminalizing homosexuality and annulling dowries, all contentious issues not only in Tunisia, but throughout the Muslim world. These changes, the report’s authors contend, are needed for Tunisia to live up to the ideals enshrined in its 2014 constitution, which ensures equality between men and women and individual rights to all citizens.