The Struggle of an Algerian Woman Anthropologist

    Algeria’s history is permeated with women who are considered a personification of courage and heroism. Perhaps the first of them was Kahina, the Berber queen and military leader who led indigenous resistance to Arab-Islamic expansion in Northwest Africa during the seventh century. Algerian women played a significant role in the struggle against French colonialism, starting with Lalla Fatma N'Soumer, who fought against French occupation in its early years, and the likes of Djamila Bouhired and Hassiba Ben Bouali, both of whom were active in the Algerian independence war. These women have become an icon and an inspiration for freedom fighters around the world.