More women choose headscarf in Algeria

 
50 % of women in Algeria's big cities wear headscarf while more than 97 % wear it in country.

 
ALGIERS - A growing number of Algerian women are reportedly choosing to follow Muslim tradition and wear a headscarf.

According to statistics published in the local daily, el-Khabar, 50 percent of women in Algeria's big cities wear a headscarf while more than 97 percent wear it in the country.

The headscarf has undergone a revival since the 1970s and 1980s but has become a divisive issue in Algeria recently as many women have complained about suffering discrimination when looking for work.

The daily newspaper said foreign companies cannot handle women wearing the headscarf in their offices. As for local companies and public offices, women wearing headscarves aren't always viewed favourably.

A few months ago president Abdelaziz Bouteflika provoked a fierce debate when he said "the headscarf is not a national dress".

In Algerian cities there are those who support the headscarf and those who do not, while in desert areas almost all the women are completely covered with nothing but their eyes visible.

(AKI)

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