29 Facts About Fathia Bettahar

Fathia Bettahar was an Algerian teacher, policy advisor, and women's rights activist.

Fathia Bettahar was particularly interested in initiatives to help women and girls gain an education.

Fathia Bettahar attended numerous women's conferences including the 1975 World Conference on Women hosted in Mexico City, the 1975 Women's International Democratic Federation Congress of Berlin, East Germany, and the 1985 World Conference on Women held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Fathia Bettahar was a vice president of the WIDF from 1975 to 1981, while continuing as the PAWO leader until 1986.

Fathia Bettahar Saidi was born on 27 August 1936 in the French Mandate of Syria.

Fathia Bettahar's mother was Syrian and her father was Algerian.

Fathia Bettahar attended the in the northwestern part of French Algeria, where she studied Arabic, French, and English.

Fathia Bettahar was involved in the Oran teachers union and served on its peace committee.

Fathia Bettahar joined the organization and quickly became involved in initiatives to help women gain training and schooling.

Fathia Bettahar worked on programs that taught women sewing and tapestry skills which they could do from home.

In 1964, Fathia Bettahar moved from teaching into administration and became a school director for the next decade.

Fathia Bettahar was a member of the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation and attended the women's symposium held in 1967 in Moscow and in 1968 in Albania.

Fathia Bettahar studied law at the University of Oran in 1970 and 1971, but did not complete her studies because she wanted to focus on helping other women.

Fathia Bettahar contributed articles to feminist publications, such as Tricontinental, discussing both needs and progress women were making in striving for political and educational rights in their struggle for national independence across the Global South.

Fathia Bettahar attended the 3rd Congress of the National Union of Algerian Women, held the first week of April 1974 in Algiers.

Fathia Bettahar was elected as the secretary general, leading the executive board made up of Lauiza Ben Amor, Saliha Boumerteg, Doria Cherifati, Ain Tair Gundez, Fouzia Hadj-Aissa, Louisa Handan, Sassia Mohammedi, and Leila Saoudi.

The goals of PAWO announced in the conference by Fathia Bettahar were not just to improve the condition of women in their countries, but to integrate them equally into all sectors of society.

Fathia Bettahar gave the opening address at the conference "African Women's Equality: Roles in National Liberation, Development, and Peace" held in Mogadishu, Somalia, in March 1975, as part of the celebrations of the United Nations' declaration of the year as International Women's Year.

Fathia Bettahar's speech highlighted the importance of women working together to fight imperialism and promote peace to create an environment that would allow development for improving the socio-economic status of women in the region.

Fathia Bettahar was elected as one of the vice presidents of WIDF at the congress.

Fathia Bettahar was succeeded by Fatima-Zohra Djeghrour at the 4th Congress of the National Union of Algerian Women held in 1978.

Fathia Bettahar was elected to a second term as the secretary general of the Pan-African Women's Organization in 1980.

Fathia Bettahar attended the 8th WIDF Congress held in Prague and made a report for the commission on creating support between NGOs and the United Nations.

Fathia Bettahar urged continued cooperation with women's organizations and various UN bodies to address women's and children's issues, promote peace, and advance human rights.

Fathia Bettahar was honored as a commander of the Guinean National Order of Merit at the end of 1983.

Fathia Bettahar attended the first congress of National Union of Sahrawi Women held in the Liberated Territories of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in March 1985.

Fathia Bettahar continued as PAWO president until 1986, when she was succeeded by Ruth Neto of Angola.

At the 8th Congress of the Pan-African Women's Organization held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1999, Fathia Bettahar was named as honorary life-time president of the organization.

Fathia Bettahar died on 4 August 2021 and was buried at the in Algiers.