Misleading Promise: Change in Status of Algerian Women as a Result of the Algerian National Revolution
Loading...
Authors
Marston, Brenda J.
Issue Date
1982
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Twenty years ago, in 1962, Algeria gained its independence
from French colonial rule, and all indications
suggested that the women of Algeria would continue to
make great strides toward their own independence. It
appeared that women had already begun to break the traditional
norms that had forced them to lead secluded,
narrow lives for so long. During the revolution, the
press produced glowing reports of how Algerian women and
men were fighting along side each other as equals in a
common effort to gain national independence. However, two decades after independence, worldwide
optimism about the advancement of Algerian women has
dwindled. When any attention is given to the case, people
remark that the streets of Algiers are still crowded
with women wearing veils and haiks. They note that men
still have the authority to choose their daughters'
husbands and to force their daughters to marry, even
when the girls are barely more than children. Many
women are illiterate, and very few hold any positions
in government.
Women in other countries fighting for national independence
warily take the case of Algeria as an example
of what could become their own fate. They ask where all
the women militants and heroines disappeared to after
independence. Now more people are realizing that the
answer lies at least partially in the fact that women
have a different experience from men under colonial rule.
Consequently, national independence has a different significance
for women. In colonial regimes, the existing
order doubly oppresses women; they encounter a history
of male dominance as well as the violence of colonial
occupation. So while an anti-colonial revolution may
fundamentally change a society's political and economic
institutions, it will not necessarily challenge the
principles and institutions of sexism. To understand
the position of· women in Algeria today, one must look
carefully at the long history of traditions which have
shaped their lives. Additionally, one must consider
on what terms they entered the national liberation struggle,
what motivated them to enter and what they expected
after the revolution.
Kalamazoo College Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Award winner.
Kalamazoo College Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Award winner.
Description
vi, 197 p.
Citation
Publisher
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.