Explores the history of women’s participation in constitution-making in Morocco and Tunisia, and outlines the strategies women have adopted to have their aspirations for constitutional equality heard. Comparing the two countries, it considers the debate about gender equality and complementarity and assesses the capability of historical feminist organisations to influence constitution-making process during the ‘transition to democracy.’ It argues that, despite the differences between the two countries, women’s movements in both have proved their importance as social actors, and in a new understanding of gender policies that affects the entire society from a political, juridical, economic and social perspective. In both countries, however, the central power used the narrative of gender equality for political objectives, mainly to advertise its democratic nature. Women’s rights and gender equality remain socially contested.