NECWA RAHIM

Algeria-Saadia Kassem, an Algerian feminist and member of the Wassila Network working on prevention and protection of women and children from violence, says that the amended law criminalizing violence against women in 2015 is an important step for ensuring the safety of women and empowering them and that despite the legal gains of feminists, they still have a long way to go. Stating that the victims of violence are oppressed by their families or relatives and they are forced to drop charges, Saadia Kassem underlines that women have to stay in the same house with the perpetrator.

They support divorced women

Stating that women are told they should stay at home, Saadia Kassem says that some women have to live on the streets due to social roles imposed on them. “One woman over 55 applied to our network. Her husband left her after 30 years of their marriage. He asked the woman to leave the house without paying any compensation. The woman has no place to go. Where should this woman go? Where should she stay? There is no law protecting this woman in Algeria.  Algeria needs a law protecting divorced women over 50. The amendment of the law criminalizing violence against women in 2015 contains many gaps. We, as the network, support divorced women over 50,” Saadia Kassem says.

Saadia Kassem demands a law protecting divorced women over 50 be enacted. “These women also have rights. The government should open women’s shelters for these women.”