SOS femmes en détresse

[Al-khiyal]

[Al-khiyal]

Violence mars Algerian women's equality

ALGIERS, December 17, 2007 (Reuters) - The sight of women working as bus and taxi drivers, petrol pump attendants or police officers in Algeria's larger towns can surprise newcomers by suggesting women are emancipated in Algeria. They are not, feminists say.

Such cases remain exceptions in a male-dominated Muslim society in which, despite official appearances, women are often treated like slaves and violently abused by husbands, fathers and brothers.

"Don't be fooled by a minority of westernised women," said Saliha Larab from Algerian women's organisation RAFD. "Algeria remains a very conservative society that considers women as second-class citizens."

Algerian women who fought for independence - like Hassiba Ben Bouali and Jamila Bouhired - are still held up as heroines in the north African country.

Equality of the sexes is enshrined in Algeria's constitution and women hold senior positions in central and regional government, the courts, security services and embassies.

The government says sexual harrassment has been criminalised and provisions added to legislation to bolster women's rights.

But up to a dozen women and children can sometimes be seen sleeping rough on the streets in downtown Algiers at night, many fleeing spousal abuse or rejected by husbands in family disputes.

According to police figures, 7,400 women in the north African country of 33 million were victims of violence in 2005, up from 5,845 in 2004.

"The figures don't say much. The big problem is most victims don't complain," said Larab."They stay silent, fear reprisals by society. A woman does not have the right to complain."

At a centre for women in distress in Algiers, Lamia, 35, said she had endured five years of beatings from her husband in front of her young children before he threw her onto the streets.

She fled her village to escape a barrage of persecution and insults from her husband and neighbours. Destitute, she appealed to her own family but they rejected and abandoned her.

Lamia received no support and for a while lost custody of her children. When they were returned to her she found they had been sexually abused by one of her husband's relatives.

"I made a complaint but all I got in return was another beating from my husband, who is a police officer."

Now in the shelter, Lamia's daughter is back in primary school after a long break in her education.

A non-governmental organisation gave her legal assistance to claim rights such as child maintenance payments from her husband and official custody of the children.

Although reproductive health has improved dramatically and the birth rate declined, the rate of illiteracy among Algerian women is still twice as high as for men, at 37 percent, and only 13 per cent of women are in the paid workforce, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

With nearly a quarter of Algerians living below the national poverty line and 70 percent of adults under 30 without a job, frustration and insecurity are widespread - and women are most often the victims.

Amnesty International said in a report in 2005 that allegations of rape and other sexual violence were often not investigated and those responsible were not brought to justice.

A 2005 amendment to the family code improved the position of women by banning men from divorcing their wives for no reason, giving women access to financial support from former husbands and a right to a home if they gain custody of their children.

But President Abdelaziz Bouteflika rejected a recommendation by a government-appointed reform commission to abolish a rule forcing women to get permission from a male family member or so-called tutor to marry.

Analysts say Bouteflika's decision not to drop the clause from an amendment to the 1984 family code showed Islamic parties still carry influence after a long-running militant uprising that has claimed the lives of up to 200,000.

Wives and daughters who make their grievances public often risk a violent revenge by incensed male relatives.

Fatiha, 53, filed for divorce after beatings from her husband - who disapproved of her career plans - left her in hospital for three months with severe trauma and fractures.

"All I wanted was to become a singer," Fatiha said.

The repeated violence caused psychiatric disorders in her children and one of her daughters attempted suicide, she said.

Exhausted and unable to endure such humiliating violence any longer, Fatiha sought refuge with her aged father while waiting for her divorce, leaving the children with her husband.

When her father died and she was left without a protector, her husband came with one of her sons to kill her, knowing that she was alone in the house.

She escaped death thanks to a neighbour who warned her of their plan, and found refuge at the Darna women's centre in Algiers.

Now divorced, Fatiha has the freedom to develop her talents as a poet and singer.

With support from the women's centre she has written a collection of poems, and made a CD expressing her pain in song.

Scenes from Algiers, 2007


A woman who was abused by her husband
cries while listening to the other women's stories
at an abused women's centre


A woman who was abused by her husband
is seen through a small mirror
as she holds her child
at an abused women's centre


A woman who was abused by her husband
tidies her room at an abused women's centre


Bounab Nabila, who was abused by her husband,
sits in her room at a distressed women's centre


Bounab Nabila, who was abused by her husband,
feeds Hamza Youcef, three months old,
at a distressed women's centre


Women who were abused by their husbands
are seen in a shared kitchen
at an abused women's centre


A woman who was abused by her husband
cooks a shared meal in the kitchen
at an abused women's centre


Women who were abused by their husbands
and disowned by their families
sit for lunch at the shared kitchen
in a distressed women's centre


Women who were abused by their husbands
and disowned by their families
sit in a weaving classroom
at a distressed women's centre




Women who were abused by their husbands
learn how to weave
at a distressed women's centre

[Al-khiyal]

December 28, 2007 -- Her face is swollen, her eyes are red and her nightdress is torn in places. Fatima tries not to let us see what has happened to her. After being beaten last night by her younger brother, she is now one of ten patients in a small hospital in Rouiba on the outskirts of Algiers.

In another room, far from the eyes of the outside world, another young woman signals to us through the window and smiles with difficulty. Karima was raped two weeks ago, but in this small hospital that word is never used. In order to prevent a scandal, people say she is ill.

These two women, one of them beaten and the other raped, and the secrecy and shame in which their suffering is shrouded, are stark examples of violence against women in Algeria.

After Karima was raped by her brother-in-law, both families chose to keep the matter secret. The emotional aftermath was overwhelming and she tried to kill herself.

"I took her away, far away from anyone, to this hospital to spare her another ordeal – a mental asylum," said Linda, a social worker and member of an association which supports women victims of violence. She said there are dozens of women like Karima, who will leave the hospital in a few days only to face the acute mental suffering she will deal with for the rest of her life.

Karima is not alone.

In 2006, more than 8,000 women reported being victims of violence, up from 5,000 in 2004 and 7,400 in 2005. These figures could indicate an increase in violence, an increase in women reporting crimes against them, or perhaps both. More and more women are speaking out, but the "golden rule" of silence continues to hold sway over most.

Particularly in rural areas, women who have been beaten, raped or subjected to other forms of cruelty are terrified of causing a scandal. They refuse to lodge complaints and some even refuse to talk. "In some cases the true picture is easily double the official figures", said Mériem Belala, president of SOS Femmes en Détresse, an NGO which campaigns for women's rights, listens to women and provides them with legal assistance and shelter.

"This violence affects all social classes and almost all regions of the country," Belala said. Figures from the Mustapha hospital in Algiers estimate that of the 9,000 beaten women who seek hospital treatment each year, half are housewives and nearly one fourth are professionals in middle management. More than half are between the ages of 35 and 45. Three-fourths of the attacks occur in the victim's home and while the majority of cases involve bruises from punching and kicking, injuries also include fractures and burns. 11% require sutures.

To respond to the crisis, a determined sector of Algerian society has waged a campaign to uphold women’s rights, acknowledge affected women as victims of violence and push for more stringent punishments for attackers. A number of associations and institutions organised under the National Co-ordinating Body are working to protect women who are victims of violence.

At the El-Yasmine centre for women in distress in Bou Ismail, twelve miles outside of Algiers, the staff works hard to convince women that, contrary to what society tells them, they are victims and they are not alone.

In early December, the centre showed Sid-Ali Mazif’s film "Violence against Women". Opening with disturbing images of bruises, wounds and fractures accompanied by the trembling and anguished voices of victims, the film portrays the suffering Algerian men inflict upon women.

Through the stories of Hassina, Kheira and Assia, women at the El-Yasmine centre found that many women from all regions and classes share the same fate, often at the hands of their husbands, brothers or sons.

"It’s very difficult to get some women to talk," Mazif said of his work. For him the film highlights part of life's realities in Algeria and provides insight into why some Algerian men are violent towards women.

Medical professionals speaking to Magharebia said husbands who beat their wives often do so for no specific reason. At least one Algerian psychiatrist has pressed further for an answer.

"We’ve got into the habit of dealing with things the other way round – looking at the victim rather than the attacker", said psychiatrist Farida Benzine, one of the few women to work with violent men in Algeria. "Although it ought to cause a scandal," she said, "marital violence is still a private matter.

"You don’t ask men why they beat their wives," said Salim, who preferred not to use his real name. This was the only reply given by the man of roughly forty, who is currently awaiting trial for battery charges in Algiers. He refused to answer the question, "Why did you beat her?" Many other men who have been tried for attacking their wives, sisters and even mothers have responded similarly.

Benzine said that although the voices of battered wives are beginning to emerge, those of violent men, who are even more reluctant to speak, are rarely heard.

"A man will never admit right away that he is violent," said Benzine.

Speaking of Salim, whose wife miraculously survived one of his unusually violent attacks, Benzine said he did not appear to her to be very different from other men who beat their wives.

"At first he denied the facts, saying it all came down to the temporary madness of his wife who [supposedly] hurt herself." After agreeing to try some "self-improvement", Salim admitted that he "knocks her about", but only "a tiny bit", she said.

Benzine said that Salim's self-improvement lasted two years. "After several interviews with me, he began psychiatric therapy. At first he felt like he was being forced into it – but then he got on with it."

At the request of his wife and her family, the couple divorced and Salim was later given a suspended prison sentence. "As a mountain-dweller, he believed it was his fate," Benzine said.

Although depressed and downcast, he has continued with his psychotherapy.

Salim had a very harsh upbringing in an environment where violence was one of the only means of communication. He often stood by and watched violent scenes in which his mother groaned after his father hit her. As a child he believed it was normal for "daddy to tell mummy off".

When questioned by Benzine, he was unable to explain why he beat his wife. After each dispute he felt regret and remorse, and said that deep down he knew that nothing entitles him to attack his wife, Benzine said. During the sixth month of his psychiatric sessions he decided to "totally reform his behaviour and his ideas". He changed, said Benzine.

Whether perverted or psychotic, everyday or extraordinary tyrants, the overwhelming majority of violent men are "extremely dependent on their partners", she said.

Salim then took the highly unusual step of asking his wife to remarry him. He has been waiting three months for an answer.

Algeria breaks silence on violence against women

[Al-khiyal]

36 femmes et 8 hommes morts en 2007 :
La violence conjugale, ce mal si méconnu…

[Al-khiyal]

Femmes battues et harcelées :
De plus en plus nombreuses en Algérie

Samedi 26 Janvier 2008 -- Face à ce phénomène en croissance, la loi du silence est à bannir. Seule une communication agressive, y compris par le recours aux nouvelles technologies de l’information dont Internet, est à même de renverser la tendance. “Les premières données chiffrées prévoient une augmentation du nombre de femmes victimes de la violence en 2007 par rapport a l’année 2006”, selon Mme Nafissa Lahrache, présidente de l’association Femmes en communication. Cette dernière s’exprimait jeudi dernier, à Constantine, lors d’une journée consacrée à la thématique des femmes battues.

En 2006, pour les seuls cas déclarés, 8 011 femmes ont été victimes de violences en Algérie. Battues par leurs proches, 19 femmes y ont laissé leur vie. À cela s’ajoutent les 1 113 cas de violences physiques aux séquelles psychologiques graves et les autres cas de harcèlement sexuel. “L’objectif de cette rencontre est la création d’un espace de réflexion et d’action commune, pour lutter contre la violence à l’égard des femmes”, a encore précisé Nafissa Lahrache.

La rencontre a été une occasion pour l’installation d’un bureau dans la capitale de l’est du pays, afin de se rapprocher des femmes victimes de violences. Selon la présidente de l’association, plusieurs sites Internet ont été mis à la disposition des femmes pour dénoncer les actes de violence commis contre elles, y compris par leurs maris, leurs frères où leurs pères. Cette rencontre s’inscrit dans le cadre d’un projet nommé ISADF, lancé depuis des années par l’association. Ce dernier a pour objectif l’information et la sensibilisation aux droits de la femme.

Dans le même sillage, Malika Boussouf et Madani Yasmina, journalistes et militantes dans le domaine des droits de la femme, ont axé leurs interventions sur les principaux mécanismes de lutte contre la violence et son traitement par les médias. Selon les participantes, le rôle des médias est “d’attirer l’attention de l’opinion publique sur les discriminations qui existent entre l’homme et la femme”. Les statistiques présentées lors du débat font état, en Algérie, de pas moins de 247 victimes de viol, dont 7 mineurs durant le quatrième trimestre de l’année écoulée.

[Al-khiyal]

Batna :
Femmes battues cherchent un toit désespérément

Mercredi 30 Janvier 2008 -- “Les femmes en situation de détresse dans la capitale des Aurès ne trouvent plus de refuge.” C’est le constat fait par la chargée du centre d’écoute de Batna, relevant de l’association SOS femmes en détresse. Mlle Nedjma Saïda affirme que durant ses actions d’assistance aux femmes violentées, elle a toujours été confrontée au problème de leur hébergement. “Les femmes viennent pour demander assistance. Quand il s’agit d’une consultation juridique ou psychologique, nous avons nos spécialistes qui les prennent en charge, mais lorsque nous avons affaire à des femmes rejetées par leurs familles, pour une quelconque raison, ou fuyant une violence conjugale ou parentale, nous devenons démunis”, précise la chargée du centre.

Ces femmes sont alors, généralement, orientées vers un centre d’hébergement à Alger, dans des conditions très risquées. Soudain déracinées, elles sont conduites vers la capitale du pays sans ressources, alors que certaines n’ont jamais quitté, de leur vie, leurs douars pour se retrouver dans une grande ville totalement étrangère. Cependant, le problème ne s’arrête pas là. Le centre d’hébergement pour femmes seules ou avec enfants à Alger n’accueille les résidantes que pour un court séjour de transition ne dépassant pas une année. Le temps nécessaire pour étudier leur cas afin de les assister par un travail et un logement adéquat. Pour les femmes venues des Aurès, dont les dossiers restent à Batna, c’est difficile de gérer leur cas depuis Alger.

En plus de cela, le centre algérois n’arrive plus à contenir le flux des femmes en détresse qu’il reçoit de diverses régions du pays. Ouvrir un centre à Batna faciliterait davantage l’aide psychologique, juridique et matérielle à ces femmes. Le centre d’écoute de Batna a reçu en 2007 plus de 70 appels de femmes, toutes habitant dans la wilaya de Batna. On y trouve surtout des femmes divorcées et mères célibataires à la recherche d’un toit après qu’elles eurent été mises à la porte par leurs familles. Alors que seules 24 d’entre elles ont été accueillies à Alger, les animateurs du centre ont perdu les traces du reste. Refuser l’aide à ces femmes, il faut le dire, c’est les remettre à la rue avec, souvent, des bébés dans les bras. La présence dans la wilaya de Batna d’une construction récemment achevée et assez bien équipée est une opportunité sur laquelle semble sauter les membres de SOS familles en détresse.

Cela fait maintenant plus d’une année que cette “maison de la solidarité” est fermée sans raison malgré tous les appels lancés par les différentes associations activant au niveau de la wilaya, soucieuses de venir en aide aux personnes les plus précaires de la société.

[Al-khiyal]

Algérie : le nombre de femmes victimes de violence reste élevé

Lundi 4 Février 2008 -- En Algérie, les femmes continuent d’être de victimes de violence, avec près de 900 cas enregistrés en 2007, selon des chiffres dévoilés, lundi 4 février, par la Direction générale de la sûreté nationale (DGSN). Au total, 8 277 femmes victimes de violence ont été recensées en 2007 à travers le pays a révélé Kheira Messaoudene, commissaire principale de la DGSN lors d'une rencontre consacrée à la violence à l'égard des femmes et des mineurs.

La tranche d'âge de 18 à 35 ans reste la plus touchée par ce phénomène. Les violences physiques arrivent en tête, avec 64% des cas enregistrés. Autre indications fournies par Mme Messaoudene : 27% des cas de violence contre les femmes ont été commises en milieu familial et 73% en dehors de ce cadre.

Une femme mariée sur dix est victime de violences physiques en Algérie, selon une étude officielle rendue publique fin octobre 2006. Les femmes divorcées et les veuves sont les plus exposées à la violence en milieu familial: 16% d'entre elles subissent des humiliations alors que 5% subissent des violences physiques, selon l'étude qui porte sur des femmes âgées de 19 à 64 ans.

Selon cette étude réalisée en 2006 par le ministère délégué chargé de la Famille et de la condition féminine, les femmes mariées subissent différentes formes de violence notamment physiques (coups et expulsion par la force), verbales (humiliations), psychologiques (menace d'expulsion...) et des rapports sexuels forcés.