Zohra Drif

Algerian revolutionary and women's rights pioneer who transformed post-colonial social policies

Zohra Drif (1930-2023) was a leading figure in Algeria's independence movement and a groundbreaking advocate for women's rights in North Africa. During the 1950s, she participated in the FLN's armed struggle against French colonial rule, becoming one of the few female combatants in the Casbah operations. After Algeria's 1962 independence, she shifted focus to legislative reforms, helping draft laws that guaranteed women's equality in marriage, inheritance, and political participation.

Between 2014-2019, Drif led the National Commission for the Advancement of Women, implementing programs to address gender-based violence and promote women's economic empowerment. Her 2016 memoir La Colombe et le vent (The Dove and the Wind) became a bestseller, detailing her revolutionary experiences and advocating for intergenerational dialogue on women's rights.

Drif's advocacy led to Algeria's 2019 family code reforms, which prohibited child marriage and strengthened women's property rights. Her work is chronicled in the documentary Les Femmes de la Révolution (The Women of the Revolution), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She received the UNESCO Prize for Women's Rights in 2018.