The purpose of the project was to bring out the need for a shelter for women victims of violence in the wilaya of Oran where Algeria’s second biggest city (Oran) is located. In a first phase, the association Femmes en communication – FEC made a diagnosis regarding Violence against women in Algeria, with a special focus on Oran. This showed that the current state programmes fighting this kind of violence are insufficient. Following the recommendations of said diagnosis, the project aimed to push local authorities for the establishment of a multipurpose social outreach to care for women in distress, especially those who are victims of Gender-based violence (GBV).

Between March and September 2017, FEC carried out several activities:

• The project was launched on March 9, 2017, a day in which the steering committee was set up in the presence of journalists, associations and officials of the Directorate of Social Action (DASS).
• A permanent service for reception, information and support for women victims of violence was set up in Oran with a psychologist, which allowed to collect many testimonies. One of the women described the psychological and physical violence she suffered from her husband who belittled her, threatened her, insulted her and beat her with various objects (a belt, a phone or even the dishes). The stories of these women all have in common their tragic and poignant aspect. All of the victims have a family, a husband, a boyfriend, a brother, a son or a brother-in-law in their environment who mistreats them. The majority of them suffer from post-traumatic stress, and especially women with children. These mothers are concerned about the well-being - both physical and psychological- of their offspring, as they witness daily scenes of domestic abuse.
• This permanent service made it possible to raise awareness on the existence of support structures such as the DASS’ proximity cells, the Centres of Re-education for Girls - Essedikia-Oran, dar Arrahma, Messerguine- and the Ain-Temouchent shelter.
• In parallel, 7 places of accommodation were created in a home in Ain-Temouchent, which increased its level of activity. Between March and July 2017, 25 women were accommodated there after being referred by the Oran reception centre. The analysis of the victims’ profiles showed that they come mostly from cities, are married, don’t have a high level of education and are at a risk of being marginalized.
• A meeting with partner entities was held on September 23, 2017 to review the project. The meeting brought together several representatives of the FEC association, the security service of the Beni-saf Daira, the Wilaya Security Brigade, the DASS, school heads and civil society.
• The media was involved in spreading the project and in encouraging women victims of violence to use existing information and support systems. The daily newspaper "Liberté Algérie" published an article (see pdf file below) on September 26, 2017 about the project.                                                     

Even though Oran does not have a shelter for women victims of violence yet, concrete actions were taken, an open entity for consultation and advice was set up, and a wider dissemination of the Ain-Temouchent shelter was achieved. The project highlighted the role of associations in the monitoring, the accompaniment and the reintegration of abused women. It also challenged the local authorities on their involvement in the proper functioning of these structures and the training of experienced staff capable of taking care of these women, listening to them, guiding them and, eventually, accompanying them. Finally, the project showed the need to undertake awareness-raising actions on the existing laws and rights of women in distress, and to report the consequences of GBV on the future of children and society in general.

This initiative is part of the field projects developed by the local clusters of gender equality actors set up by the Euro-Mediterranean Women’s Foundation in 2015. It falls within the framework of the Axis 1 "Strengthening the capacities of equality actors" of the project "Women of the future in the Mediterranean" funded by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), and the project "Developing women’s empowerment", labelled by the Union for the Mediterranean.