Algerian women want change to family law

Women's rights defense societies in Algeria consider that revision of the family law which portrays woman as "immature for life" is not enough and are demanding its abolition.

The greater part of the Algerian dailies considered that revision of the family law few months before the presidential elections in the spring of 2004 is an electoral maneuver aimed at benefiting from women's vote who often constitute a greater part of those who abstain from voting.

The Algerian daily al- Watan front-paged "women, are an election link," while the Algerian daily "Le Tantic" questioned "to what extent the government will go?" The Algerian dailies considered that the mere idea of amending the said law aimed basically at Islamists who oppose the abrogation of this law or changes in the law that target principles such as polygamy, divorce, etc.

However, women defense societies, do not see in this amendment only an attempt to alleviate the burden of certain laws which anger women, rejected by most societies and consequently call for the end of what they called "the shame law." First statements by officials said that this amendment might end forcing women to leave the "marriage house" after divorce. The issues of polygamy and divorce were not touched upon.

Several female teachers in one secondary school said that under their pretext that the opposition to changing this laws want to stay "in compliance with the Islamic Sharia law," this means that "they will not change any of the enforced norms and principles, which constitute the major obstacle to liberation of any woman."

Most of these societies reject to amend this law which is greatly inspired from the Islamic Sharia and was adopted in 1984 under the rule of the National Liberation Front, the only party. It considers woman "immature for life " and is obliged to stay under the "control of man."