Women fulfilled a number of different functions during the Algerian War (1954–1962). The majority of Muslim women who became active participants did so on the side of the National Liberation Front (FLN). The French included some women, both Muslim and French, in their war effort, but they were not as fully integrated, nor were they charged with the same breadth of tasks as their Algerian sisters. The total number of women involved in the conflict, as determined by post-war veteran registration, is numbered at 11,000, but it is possible that this number was significantly higher due to underreporting.De Groot, Gerard, Peniston-Bird, Corinna. A Soldier and a Woman: Sexual integration in the Military. New York: Longman, 2000 p. 247

There exists a distinction between two different types of women who became involved: urban and rural. Urban women, who constituted about twenty percent of the overall force, had received some kind of education and usually chose to enter on the side of the FLN of their own accord. Largely illiterate rural women, on the other hand (the remaining eighty percent), became involved due to geographical proximity to FLN operations paired with force, although some of them did join out of compassion.Lazreg, Marnia. The Eloquence of Silence. London: Routledge, 1994 p. 120

The rural women combatants in the Algerian War were referred to as the mujahidat and "left their homes and families to join the FLN armed guerrilla bands, the Armée Libération Nationale (ALN)". They tended to be young, unmarried, and prepared to join the resistance "with or without the approval of their families". The mujahidat also were "social assistants to the rural population in the zones in which they were posted and would give local female peasants advice on topics such as hygiene and education". They also had important political responsibilities as many of these female combatants promoted the FLN by "organizing political meetings with local women".

The urban women combatants were referred to as the fidayat and largely "engaged in paramilitary activities in the urban centres".

Roles Around 11,000 women from across Algeria are said to have fought or helped in the war effort; however, many scholars believe the actual number of women who contributed to the liberation movement is much higher. Women operated in various areas during the course of the rebellion. Meredith Turshen claims, “Women participated actively as combatants, spies, fundraisers, as well as nurses, launderers, and cooks.”Turshen, Meredith. “Algerian Women in the Liberation Struggle and the Civil War: From Active Participants to Passive Victims”. Social Research Vol. 69 No. 3 (Fall 2002) p. 889-911, p.890 Gerard De Groot adds, “women assisted the male fighting forces in areas like transportation, communication and administration.”De Groot, Gerard, Peniston-Bird, Corinna. A Soldier and a Woman: Sexual integration in the Military. New York: Longman, 2000 p. 223 The range of involvement by a woman could include both combatant and non-combatant roles. A majority of women in the liberation movement did not participate in direct combat. They did equally important tasks such as providing weapons, food, housing, and medicine to soldiers and other combatants. Additionally, some non-combatant women in the military (FLN) were in charge of “informing the women of the civilian population about the political situation, providing support and advice on hygiene, and being in charge of cooking.” Along with basic advice on hygiene, women offered important nursing services for both the wounded soldiers and the civilian population with little to no medical supplies. One of the most prominent ways that women were able to contribute to the liberation movement without picking up arms or fighting was the wearing of the veil. The citizens of Algeria fighting for liberation from the French and majority Christian occupation were Muslim. That being said, the veil is the traditional head-scarf that Muslim women wore - something that the French despised as it made them stand out and look less Western. The veil symbolized the Algerian's “allegiance to cultural traditions” and their “refusal to be ‘won over’ or ‘penetrated’ by western men.” The veil was a form of patriotism and protest against the French and its occupation. Although most women were non-combatants, they were just as passionate about the liberation movement as men. Most women participated in the tasks listed above and had to come home to take care of their families while many men left to fight and did not return for days on end. Women from urban centers had a different experience and role in the war than women in rural areas. Urban women were usually recruited to the FLN, either the civilian or military arm, or joined because of their family. These urban women compromised about 20% of all women in the war, making them the minority compared to women in rural areas. Women in rural areas were typically drawn into the war and FLN more naturally due to their location, as most of the fighting took place in rural parts of Algeria. Their rural location allowed them to carry out guerilla warfare more easily than those living in urban areas. Activity within the FLN, The National Liberation Front, was primarily through its civilian arm and military arm - the National Liberation Army. The reality was that “rural women in maquis [rural areas] support networks”Vince, Natalya “Transgressing Boundaries: Gender, Race, Religion and ‘Fracaises Musulmannes during Algerian War of Independence.” French Historical Studies. Vol. 33 No. 3 (Summer 2010) p. 445-474, p.445 contained the overwhelming majority of those who participated. This is not to marginalize those women who did engage in acts of violence, but simply to illustrate that they constituted in the minority.

Female combatants

Despite the fact that destruction of civilian and military targets by women through paramilitary activities included less than seventy women, or about 2% of the total females in the military arm of the FLN.Lazreg, Marnia. The Eloquence of Silence. London: Routledge, 1994 p. 124 While this may seem like a small amount, it is about the same number of women who fought in World War II. The women participating in combat wore uniforms and trained just like their male counterparts which was rare in the Islamic faith. Their jobs “included paramilitary activities such as throwing bombs at civilian targets or attacking policemen and individuals considered collaborators/traitors.” When out of uniform, women were arguably more dangerous. Since Algerian women were viewed as less dangerous by the French than Algerian men, they could get away with more or get by unnoticed, carrying bombs or other weapons in their purses, strollers, and under their clothing. Essentially, they became “mobile arsenals”. While it may seem contradictory, some women were also recruited to the FLN due to their European appearance. This allowed them to pass as French checkpoints and security to carry out certain tasks or attacks. While they were in the minority, the women who did contribute to the liberation movement via combat helped and furthered the movement significantly. Both combatants and noncombatants, did not cut any slack from the French. Around 2,200 women were captured and tortured by the French over the course of the liberation war. Many were also raped, beaten and killed by French soldiers.

A reason for such attention was that included in the women who perpetrated direct violence against the French were Djamila Boupacha, Samia Larkhdari, and Djamila Bouhired, combatants in the Battle of Algiers. Eventually captured, the trials of these women, specifically Bouhired, gained recognition from international audiences.Macmaster, Neil. Burning the Veil. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2009 p. 318 Another reason is that the violent nature of such activities, especially when carried out by women, were much more sensational than feeding and nursing FLN soldiers.

Oral testimonies

As a result of mujahidat and fidayat not having many written accounts about them, oral testimonies have been the main source in understanding the significance of women's roles in the FLN-ALN and their contributions to the Algerian War. While these important pieces of testimony give a voice to women who were often "excluded from the history and memory of the Algerian War as well as victimized in postcolonial Algeria," there remain many omissions in the oral accounts of women combatants.

Some particularly difficult issues that are often excluded from oral testimonies relate to "marriages in the maquis and the FLN-ALN's control of women's sexuality in the maquis." As noted by scholar Ryme Seferdjeli, "In two interviews with mujahidat (Layla Ettayeb and Djamila Amrane) who married in the maquis, they categorically refused to speak about the circumstances in which they got married; nor would they make any comment on it". Another example of why testimonies of rape and torture of the women combatants in Algeria do not come to light can be seen in the story of a mujahida named Louisette Ighilahriz. When Ighilahriz "published her story admitting to having been tortured and raped during the Algerian War, she received little support from other mujahidat." This can be accounted for by the fact that revealing such violence, especially of a sexual nature, is considered a taboo and reliving such trauma can be extremely difficult for survivors of sexual violence.

Therefore, few women combatants are prepared to publicly admit personal stories of the torture and rape that took place during the war. Further, by revealing accounts of sexual violence and subjugation during the war, mujahidat would be seen as victimized women rather than courageous fighters who were absolute members of the ALN. During and after the war, the FLN rhetoric was very much focused on spreading a heroic image of the mujahidat, "in order to achieve public recognition" and as a form of revolutionary propaganda, which may have influenced the oral testimonies of the mujahidat. In an interview with an unnamed mujahida she acknowledged that:"It is difficult to write history. There are things we will never be able to tell. I have to admit that I would have difficulties in invoking certain points or details."In another interview with a mujahida named Houria, when the interviewer and historian Chérifa Bouatta, "asked about the nature of the affective and sexual relationships" with Houria's first husband, she immediately answered, "No, we don't talk about that."

Media representation Women's roles in the Algerian Liberation Movement have also been represented in the media. One of the most notable examples of women combatants can be seen through the historically accurate film called “The Battle of Algiers.” In one scene, three European-looking Algerian women can easily get past French guards and place bombs in three different public and heavily French-populated locations. These surprise bombings carried out by the three Algerian women resulted in mass French casualties. “The three women who carried bombs to French quarters in Algiers were Drif, Lakhdari, and Djamila Bouhired. All three would go on to become legendary heroes of Algerian independence.” While they were in the minority, the women who did contribute to the liberation movement via combat helped and furthered the movement significantly.

On the other hand, The Book, Les Enfants du nouveau monde, (Children of the New World: A Novel of the Algerian War) by Assia Djebar discusses the significant gender gap between men and women during the time. This book shows that despite the notable female involvement at the time of the Liberation War, “women face an indigenous patriarchal structure so deeply rooted it may not change with independence.”

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