AFTURD as an expression of the autonomous movement of Tunisian Women was officially created in January 1989 in the wake of AAWORD (Association of African Women for Research and Development).

AFTURD brings together women researchers or interested in the militant research on women. Its member are driven by a desire to promote a critical and constructive reflection on the status of women in Tunisia for effective participation in development in all its dimensions: cultural, social, economic and political.