A recent government study asserts that women were making inroads professionally in this mainly Muslim North African country of 33 million however, Algeria has come under fire from rights groups who say poor treatment of women persists.
Primarily, the Algerian government has failed to protect women against sexual molestation, assaults and pervasive legal and economic discrimination.
Algerian women were raped, forced into prostitution and temporary marriages, beaten and beheading for failure to wear head coverings by Islamic militants in Algeria. Armed terrorists committed hundreds of rapes against female victims, most of who were subsequently murdered.
Figuratively:
1. in 2002 and 2003 among 9,333 female victims of violence showed that in 60 per cent of cases studied, the violence was family based
2. 7,400 women filed domestic violence complaints last year
3. 1,555 more than in 2004
4. 500 girls have been kidnapped by rebels
5. 300 raped during attacks on villages
6. 4,000 women were victims of violence in Algeria
Why it is so prevalent?
1. Discrimination in the family itself has been instrumental in mounting violence against women legitimized discrimination has made women more vulnerable to these kinds of tragedy.
2. Lack of comprehensive investigations into the matters of molestation has brought failure to those who accounts for justice.
3. Police, judges and other law enforcement officials are not enough trained to tackle the situations.
4. There are no proper shelters for women survivors of sexual violence regardless of the psychological trauma and social stigma they face.
5. Since it is a patriarchal society so if the male member ‘disappears’, the government denies the rest to pensions, savings and property.
6. A woman is such conditioned that she has to prioritize her husband and his family unconditionally.
What could be done?
In tangible terms, an improvement in care given to women victims of violence through a global integrated approach should be made. Along with that strengthening of the technical and institutional capabilities of the ministry, to create a governmental, parliamentary and professional coalition and implementation of a network within civil society is required. An effort must also be made to better educate Algerian women about their rights.
