Monia Lachheb

Monia Lachheb is a sociologist and lecturer (HDR) at the University of Manouba, Tunis, and an associate researcher at the Institute for Research on the Contemporary Maghreb (CNRS). During 2023-2024, she served as a Visiting Professor at Striges CIERL.

Her research specializes in the socio-anthropology of the body and sexualities within Maghrebi contexts, with emphasis on queer identities, bodily politics, and sociocultural transgressions. Key contributions include edited volumes such as Thinking about the body in the Maghreb (2012), Being homosexual in the Maghreb (2016), and Sensitive terrains in the Maghreb and beyond (2022). Her work bridges anthropology, gender studies, and postcolonial theory to analyze how state power and social norms regulate bodies in North Africa.

Lachheb actively disseminates research through academic workshops, notably leading the Gender and Sexuality Workshop series examining "The Politicization of Bodies and Sexualities," including case studies on Tunisia's Queer Film Festival. Her scholarship consistently addresses taboo subjects within conservative Maghrebi societies, positioning her as a critical voice in decolonial sexuality studies.