Archives des luttes des femmes en Algérie

Archives des luttes des femmes en Algérie (Archives of women's struggles in Algeria) is a collective and independent project whose objective is to shed light on the history of the Algerian women's movement since 1962, which has long been marginalised and unknown. Through the construction of an open access digital archive, the project aims to make accessible a set of written, printed and visual materials produced within the organisations and collectives, which are today preserved by women who pave participated in such mobilisations.

Launched in March 2019 in the context of the hirak (popular uprising in Algeria), the project emerged from the observation that only few resources about the history of struggles in independent Algeria exist today, and even less when it comes to those led by women for emancipation and equal rights. The material "traces" of their actions and mobilizations remain inaccessible and little known to the new generations.

In this publication, we can choose to relate a particularly dense and prolific part of the history of the Algerian feminist movement, from 1988 to 1993. In 1989, a brief democratic opening enabled many women's collectives and organizations to exist legally and more freely than at the time of the single party. The publication gathers photographs and documents - some of which were fundamental in the evolution of the movement - from this period of intense political and militant activity.

Through this contribution, we hope to provide some elements of comprehension and reflection on the constitution of the Algerian women's movement, as well as some tools of political struggle.