BBC 19 Mar Tunisia's uprising: 'I'm free to wear my headscarf' Nour Abida The Comb podcast Dhouha Aljane Dhouha Aljane says before the revolution she wouldn't have been able to wear her headscarf all the time It has been 10 years since 26-year-old Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire, sparking the Arab Spring uprisings. He was struggling to make a living to support his family - and his desperate act triggered nationwide protests against corruption, unemployment and high food prices. Sahar Mahri was 16 when the protests started and thinks that some things have improved over the last decade. “Today, we have the freedom of expression; I have the freedom to ask; I have the freedom to criticise; I have the freedom to talk about politics and… express my dissatisfaction.” Dhouha Aljane, who was also 16 at the time of the uprising, says the most significant change for her has been that she is now able to wear a headscarf, which were previously banned public institutions. “After the revolution, I put it on. I was so confident. I wear the hijab the way I like - with a pin or without a pin.” The government of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, which was overthrown in 2011, was secular and women who covered their hair in the Islamic tradition were denied access to education and jobs. But unemployment still remains an issue for many, with a third of young people in the North African nation unemployed. This, coupled with the rise in the price of basic goods and anger at poor public services, has caused frustration. “Some of my friends didn't even finish their studies because they knew it was pointless to do so - all they think about is going abroad and finding good opportunities in Europe or elsewhere," says Ms Mahri. "The many of my friends who did finish their studies are currently unemployed and staying at home.”