The last workshop, which gathered equality actors in Oran, was held in the Popular Assembly of the Wilaya of Oran, which opened its premises demonstrating its commitment to fight violence against women. Besides domestic violence, sexual harassment at work, which is a taboo subject in Algeria, was also addressed as well as violence against old women who are divorced without the possibility of keeping the couple’s housing.

The workshop, which was held in the presence of several journalists, highlighted the media’s role to be played in order to increase awareness of the violence’s reality by the society as a whole as well as to fight against the idea that violence against women is encouraged or allowed in Islam. The law against violence that should soon be passed by the National Assembly will strengthen activities at local level.

Participants agreed on the need to create in Oran a reception and accommodation center for women victims of violence. This idea emerged from dissemination workshops and it requires the commitment of all partners. A committee of experts was established to monitor the procedures for executing this ambitious project.

This workshop is part of the pilot action to mobilize local actors in Algeria in 2015 conducted by the Association nationale Femmes en communication (FEC) within the framework of the Axis 1 "Strengthening the capacities of actors working for gender equality", of the project Women for the future in the Mediterranean, funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development and the project “Developing Women’s Empowerment”, labelled by the Union for the Mediterranean.