Country Listing
Algeria Table of Contents
Algeria
THE INDIVIDUAL, THE FAMILY, AND THE SEXES
In the early 1990s, the tradition of strong family life still
dominated most areas of the country. A basic social principle
affecting both the individual and the family was a kind of
division between the sexes that made gender one of the most
important determinants of social status. Seclusion of women was
not universally practiced, but men and women constituted largely
separate societies in public life. In private they were bound by
the same culture, values, traditions, and beliefs and the same
closeness between generations found in other parts of the Middle
East.
The War of Independence and the impetus given to education by
the socialist governments of Ahmed Ben Bella (1962-65),
Boumediene, and Bendjedid led to a change in the position of
women in Algerian society. Girls were sent to school in large
numbers; later, many continued their studies in university and
then pursued professional lives, especially in urban centers.
Data as of December 1993