Fighting for their rights: Algerian women in the workplace

[Al-khiyal]

"We have to fight to ensure that the law on equality is implemented"


Interview with Karima Boudrouaz (Algeria - UGTA):

Brussels 29 January 2007 (ICTUC OnLine): Karima Boudrouaz, the first woman to be elected to the post of secretary in her region, Bordj-Bou-Arreridj, is very pleased with the change in mentality generated by the trade union campaign to recruit women in Algeria, and the impact on the men in particular, who, despite their initial wariness, "have understood that women are capable of being effective". Guided by the principle that "action speaks louder than words", Karima, aged 29, now wants to embark on the fight to give young people a greater role in the trade union movement:

What motivated you to get involved in the trade union movement?

I started my career in education when I was 22, teaching philosophy. I joined the union at the school were I was working because I was shocked at the discrimination suffered by the women around me. If a woman is absent from work, for example, she'll be penalised, whereas a man will not. The discrimination is also blatant when it comes to promotion. Despite the fact that the majority of teaching staff are women, there are those who have been working in the sector for 25 years and haven't been promoted once. I was seconded from my teaching post three years ago and am working as the trade union education and training secretary, as well being the secretary of the women's committee in my region, Bordj Bou Arreridj. In July 2005, thanks to my work with the women's committee, I was the first woman to be elected to the post of regional secretary for my sector. Since then, several other women have been elected to such posts in Algeria.

What priorities did you set yourself in the beginning?

The first thing I did was to listen to the experiences of other women, taking advantage, for example, of the experiences recounted during a workshop for women trade unionists in Alger. The number one priority is to know the law, to be fully acquainted with women's rights at work. The law guarantees equality, but we have to fight to ensure it is implemented. The second priority is the problem of sexual harassment, which affects my region as much as it does the rest of the country. We have done a lot of work at grassroots level. Thanks to the work of the women's committee, we have been able to recruit numerous women in a variety of sectors. We now have 3000 women members in our region, 500 of whom are in charge of running the various women's sections in the different sectors.

How do you go about making contact with women workers?

The first step, before approaching them in the workplace for the first time, is to obtain an entry permit, as required by law. If someone then tries to bar my entry in any way, I insist that it's my right, that it's the law.

What was the initial reaction of the women approached in this way?

They showed immediate interest, because it's the first time that a woman, representing the women's committee of the region, showed interest in the problems specific to them, such as harassment, promotion discrimination and a variety of other injustices. These are all problems that I was already aware of, because of my own experience at work. There were women of all ages. The young ones are often faced with the problem of unpaid wages, as many young women are employed on fixed term contracts and are not paid until they come to an end. The older ones more often raise the issue of barriers to promotion and career advancement.

How did the men react?

We met with a lot of negative reactions at first from the men; they would say, "what is this nonsense about women's unions?". But they have seen, with time, that women are capable of being effective and producing results. Their views have changed. Now there are even men who come to the women's committee with their problems. It's incredible how much the situation has changed in just three years.

Can you give some concrete examples of the action taken?

In the health sector of my region, the midwives had protested about the lack of gynaecologists. If something goes wrong during a birth and a gynaecologist is not present, it is the midwife who is legally responsible, and can go to prison. We met with the hospital director to explain the problem. Nothing changed, so we took our compliant to the next level, to the director of health. There was still no change, so we organised a general meeting of midwives and other hospital workers and threatened to hold a sit-in, with wide media coverage, if nothing was done. As this was the case, we held the sit-in, and I can tell you that the problem was soon resolved, with a personal commitment from the Wali (local governor) himself to place gynaecologists in the maternity ward and improve the hygiene conditions in the workplace.

Have you dealt with any concrete cases of sexual harassment?

There was recently the case of a unionised worker from the health sector, recognised by all for her exceptional professional skills, who was dismissed by the head of her department after having defended a colleague whom he had sexually harassed. She contacted the women's committee in a terrible panic. We immediately met with the hospital director, who committed to reinstating her on the spot. The news spread like wildfire at the hospital, and boosted the image of the women's committee, which subsequently had five other cases of sexual harassment referred to it.

Are you saying that a lot needs to be done to change the image of trade unions?

For me, being a trade unionist means being an advocate of the poor. In my sector, education, there is a lot of criticism of the male trade union officials who haven't done enough to help the workers on the ground, which is why the negative perception exists that trade unions are above all concerned with protecting their own interests. Our philosophy within the women's committee is that "action speaks louder than words". It's better to achieve concrete results than to make grand promises.

Has your involvement in the union created any problems in your personal life?

I've had the support of my friends and family from the very outset. My father is an intelligent man; for him, women have the right to freedom, the only limit is the freedom of others; it's a question of individual responsibility.

What are the problems specific to young workers in Algeria?

The main problem facing young people is unemployment, especially in the big cities, and fixed term contracts. Everyone would like to have a stable job. Young people often find themselves unemployed again after working for six months, without any kind of compensation. There are many young graduates, engineers, doctors, etc. who are "young unemployed workers". Some go back to live with their parents, but it's very difficult, so many are forced into the informal economy.

What practical steps do you intend to take to give young people a greater role in the Algerian trade union movement?

The last UGTA Congress decided to set up a youth committee, but it has not actually been formed yet. I recently took part in a meeting of young trade unionists from the Maghreb, held in Tunis, by the UGTT (Tunisia) and CFDT (France). I learned about the experiences of other countries and at the end of the meeting, as the Algerian delegate, I committed to taking part in setting up a concrete action plan by the end of 2006. It's an opportunity I wanted to seize, given that the UGTA Congress decided to set up a structure for young members and it's time the idea was put into practice. I'm working with other young trade unionists, such as Souad Belaidi, who is also actively involved in the campaign to recruit women, on implementing the decision to set up of a youth committee, and am willing to take on the role of provisional president until the structure takes on its definitive form.

Interview with Karima Boudrouaz

[Al-khiyal]

"The campaign has given women a taste for asserting their rights"

Interview with Souad Belaidi (Algeria - UGTA):

Brussels 29 January 2007 (ICTUC OnLine): Souad Belaidi, aged 37, Tlemcen region coordinator of the campaign to recruit women, talks about the campaign's positive results and the personal sacrifices made to achieve them. The first woman to enter the regional leadership structure of the occupational training trade union, Souad now also heads the women's committee for her region and has succeeded in placing women's issues on the agenda. She is demanding a greater role for young members and insists that she is ready to take on the fight to ensure the rise of the next generation of trade union leaders:

How did you get involved in the trade union and how old were you?

I was trained as a seamstress, but my first job was at a cultural centre in my region, Tlemcen (West Algeria). I was eighteen. Then, after doing teacher training in the ready-to-wear sector, I started to teach at an occupational training centre. I obtained my first job contract when I was 22, but had to face a great deal of injustices, bureaucratic barriers and discrimination before obtaining a permanent post. My colleagues, on seeing that I had no reservations about going to those in charge to demand greater justice, asked me to take on the leadership of the trade union section grouping around 50 employees. I gathered a lot of experience in a variety of areas. I also received a many blows, but I always had the support of my colleagues, who called me the "Iron Lady". After a three-year mandate, I was elected onto the leadership structure of the regional occupational training sector trade union, which groups around 9000 workers. That day left a great impression on me, as I was the only woman among all the other trade union leaders in the sector.

How did your male colleagues react to your arrival?

To be honest, for the first two years I received lots of encouragement and didn't have any particular problems with my male colleagues. I moved around a lot and secured concrete results in terms of legal advice, awareness raising and information. After two years, it was decided that the women's committee should be renewed in the region. Over 400 women elected me as president in a secret ballot. For me, being democratically elected by the members is an unbending principle, otherwise I would rather withdraw. It was after this election that I started to have problems with the men. I organised a three-day seminar on globalisation with the UGTA training department; there was a majority of 27 women for 13 men. The men were not too pleased, and said that the women were going to take their place. They were not happy about the wide media coverage given to the seminar either. After that, I started to be the target of criticism from the leaders; they criticised my dual leadership role, my post at sectoral level and on the regional women's committee. I played for time, leaving things to calm down for a while, and the problems eventually died down.

What priorities are you working on?

I have started to organise the women in the area. A lot of women have joined, from different sectors. They used to think that the union was a man's business, but seeing a woman representing the union has opened a window of opportunity for them to come and present the problems they face as women, such as promotion discrimination and sexual harassment. I went to Alger to follow a training course for trainers, to build on my skills and knowledge of trade union work. I am now a trainer at the National Trade Union Research Institute. I also followed training in Turin on social protection.

What role did you play in the ICFTU backed campaign to organise women?

I took part in the campaign as the coordinator for my region. We organised study days and seminars for the women; it was something new to them, a real discovery in terms of the methodology, based on a more global approach to the woman's world of work. It has given them a taste for asserting their rights. The campaign reached out to women of all ages and environments. Some of the women's stories brought me to tears on more than one occasion; they were so moving.

How do you manage to reconcile your trade union and family responsibilities?

I got married when I was 17 and have four children. My eldest is 17 and my youngest is 6. My parents have been a great help. My mother has supported me a lot by looking after the children when I'm working away. My family was happy to see me reach a certain level of responsibility and proud of me being known as a defender of the least advantaged. But it has influenced my family life a great deal; I haven't been able to spend much time with my children, to really make the most of their early years. On the one hand, the campaign has given me a lot, but on a personal level it has also meant making a great personal sacrifice. When my son failed his exam, everyone blamed me, because I was working away on the day of his exam. Fortunately, he has passed this year, and he's very proud of me and my work.

What have you learned from the campaign assessment seminar that has just come to a close in Marrakech?

We worked so hard on this campaign. Our work on the ground was very positive and following our visits we would often receive calls from the women to keep us informed of the gains they were able to secure. All the effort put into it, the thousands of kilometres travelled, all the time devoted to the campaign, ... it was all quite a strain, because I wasn't seeing the big picture or evaluating the global results. But today, at the seminar, on seeing the video presenting the campaign activities in Algeria as a whole, I cried, because I realised the magnitude of the work accomplished, I saw the fruit of our work. The overall assessment is very positive. I also felt a real sense of solidarity with our Moroccan sisters; it's very encouraging.

You stress the need for the trade union movement to better integrate young people. What role do they play in the Algeria?

Young people have always been marginalized in our confederation. The youth committee exists on paper, on an organisation chart, but it has not actually been formed yet. And yet, in my view, it's very important to prepare the next generation of leaders. There are many old trade unionists in the Arab world who don't want to give way to the young. They accuse them of not having been involved, like them, in the hard battle for independence, because in their day the trade union struggle and fight against colonialism were inextricably linked. They mistrust the youth because of this historical gap. But these young people are achieving miraculous results through their work. They have to be given a chance, a role. It's true that young people are quicker to protest than their parents. At university already, if something displeases them, they complain and put up a fight. They want jobs that correspond to their qualifications and training, decent work, permanent posts. They're not ready to except just anything, to put up with what their parents have endured. I'm very keen to get involved in setting up a youth committee. I want it to be set up as it ought to be, not rushed into head on. I'm confident it will happen and am ready to commit to it.

Interview with Souad Belaidi

[Al-khiyal]

Algeria - Women make progress in the union

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[Cheba_Mami]

glad to read this! Go girls!

[Al-khiyal]

Political activists spoke about the difficulties Algerian women face in the workplace at a conference by the Child and Women’s Rights Information and Documentation Centre (CIDEF) held Sunday (April 22nd) at the National Public Health Institute in Algiers. Participants discussed such issues as women’s access to employment and sexual harassment in the workplace.

Female representatives of political parties spoke of the "paradoxical" situation of women in the workplace who, despite a high level of education, are still in a "very weak" position. The employment rate for women remains below expectations, despite laws guaranteeing equality between men and women in employment and social welfare. According to official figures, the employment rate for women is steadily increasing, having risen from 2.4% in 1970 to 7.1% in 1976 and 15% in 2003.

Speaking on the issue of women's integration into the workforce, Farida Ilimi, a representative of the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN), said the percentage of women in the workforce (14%) is lower than that in neighbouring countries. "Although 46% of Algerian girls are going to school, women are still not in the high-ranking positions they desire," she said. She added that Algeria "bans all forms of discrimination in employment, including discriminatory salaries, unlike western countries where women earn 25% less than men." However, she said, "Women progress more slowly in their careers than men…The discrimination occurs not with salaries, but with career development." In response, some of the campaigners called for "coercive measures" to punish "stubborn" employers guilty of discrimination against women in promotions.

Samia Kaid from the opposition party Movement for Culture and Democracy (RCD) stressed that her party is fighting for the enforcement of equal opportunity. "The status of women is a major issue of concern for our party," she said, adding that the problem lies in recruitment and access to employment. The shortage of child care providers is another obstacle for working women with children, as family pressures can take a toll on women’s careers.

The campaigners also reported sexual harassment in the workplace. Delegates called upon social and community groups to tackle this affront to women’s honour and dignity. FLN and FNA representatives said that information and awareness campaigns in the workplace are a tool which can be used to counter the sexual harassment most women suffer in silence. The RCD pushed even harder, calling for men who harass their female colleagues to be dismissed and for legal action to be taken against them.

Algerian activists bemoan slow integration of women into workforce