The Issue of Violence Against Women in Algeria: Causes and Public Policies

Abstract

This contribution deals with the topic of: violence against women in Algeria: causes and public policies on violence against women. The violence against women in Algeria has represented a social phenomenon that affects Algerian women of all ages, single and married, whether those residing in cities or rural areas, as well as concerns either working or non-working. This phenomenon is most often carried out within families by the husband against the wife. However, the Algerian authorities have adopted a range of policies in order to face this violence against women; like persuasive measures of awareness and sensitization through the family, school and the media, as well as providing protection to women in centres. In addition, over the last twenty years, the Government of Algeria has promulgated policies, programs and a series of laws has been enacted to punish harassment of women, and tighten the punishment for men, even husbands, who engage in physical and moral violence against women. Indeed, a husband who practices any form of coercion or intimidation on  his wife in order to dispose of her property or financial resources will be punished by imprisonment from six months to two years, and anyone who deliberately injures or beats his wife shall be punished by imprisonment from one to 20 years, depending on the severity of the injury, and in case of death, the penalty is life imprisonment. Finally, the government created a national committee that has an aim the implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women was formed and the mechanisms for its implementation were evaluated through the preparation of an action plan related to this area in 2013. This contribution deals with the causes and  the statistics about the violence against women, then the different policies developed by the Algerian government to fight  against this phenomenon.