20 ans, barakat!

20 ans, barakat! (20 years is enough!) is a movement in France and Algeria founded in 2003 to overturn the Algerian Family Code in force since June 1984.

They consider this code to contradict the legal equality between women and men proclaimed in Article 29 of the Algerian constitution, institutionalizing what they call second-class citizenship for women and leading to discrimination and injustices against them.

Among the injustices and discrimination against women in the Algerian law the movement points to the following points:

• Polygamy is allowed.
• Only divorced women have parental authority over their children.
• Women's right to divorce is conditional, while men retain the power to divorce even against the will of the woman.
• Having a wali (matrimonial guardian) has been made optional, but has not been abolished.
• Negotiated conditions in the marriage contract are only available to the most educated and informed of women.

In response, the movement demands that the following changes be made to the Family Code:

• Prohibition of polygamy.
• End of the use of wali (matrimonial guardian).
• Introduction of joint parental authority.
• Introduction of equal rights to divorce.^[1]

It includes the following organizations:

• In Algeria: Tharwa Fadhma n’Soumeur, Association SOS Femmes en Détresse, Association Volonté Initiative et Engagement, Association Défense et Promotion des Droits des Femmes, Associatiation Indépendante pour le Triomphe des Droits des Femmes.
• In France: Association 20 ans Barakat, New Ways, Un livre une vie, Coordination 8 Mars.

External links

• 20 ans barakat's website
• Collectif 20 ans barakat

References