Unveiling the dual oppression / July 5th, Algeria Independence Day
The colonization of Algeria casts a long shadow on the nation’s history, marked by immense damage and human suffering. For over a century, Algeria endured the heavy yoke of oppression and exploitation.
The struggle for independence witnessed immense sacrifices, with estimates of hundreds of thousands of lives lost due to armed conflicts, forced labor, and brutal reprisals by the colonial regime. Still, Algerians fought valiantly to defend their land, culture, and identity.
This colonization brought forth a devastating era of double oppression for Algerian women. They confronted a terrifying truth, dealing with the oppression and sexual assault imposed by the French colonial authorities, while also enduring the restrictive limitations enforced by religious fundamentalists in their own society.
Under French colonial rule, Algerian women suffered unspeakable atrocities. The occupying forces not only subjugated the Algerian people as a whole but also specifically targeted women, subjecting them to violence, exploitation, and sexual abuse.
The notion of ‘indigenous inferiority’ fueled a deplorable sense of entitlement among some French settlers, leading to the violation of countless innocent lives.
In addition to the French oppressors, Algerian women were further subjugated by fundamentalist ideologies that emerged during and after the struggle for independence. These fundamentalist beliefs sought to impose strict interpretations of religious norms, resulting in the denial of basic rights and freedoms to women. Educational opportunities were curtailed, and their roles were limited to domesticity, denying them the agency to make choices about their lives.
In the face of these dual oppressions, Algerian women exhibited immense resilience and strength. Many courageously resisted, reclaimed their voices and asserted their rights.
Remembering Algerian women’s strength amidst this immense abuse and suffering, we honor their legacy and their relentless North-African spirit to fight for gender equality. Let’s strive for a society where women are free from oppression, abuse, and discrimination.
