ABSTRACT
Introduction Contained by the shores of the Mediterranean to the north and the arid sands of theSaharatothesouth,thecountriesofNorthAfricawereheavilyinfluencedby ancient European civilisations such as Rome, as well as the more recent expansion of Islam. They were also subject to European colonialism, which has markedlyinfluencedtheirwaysoflife. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, North Africa was colonised by France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy. Prior to the 1920s, many women did not venture far from their homes, fulfilling many household and family duties, but between the 1920s and 1950s they were encouraged to participate in the struggle for independence. This was a great opportunity for emancipation from patriarchal and cultural constraints. During the 1950s and 1960s, and into the 1970s, all of the North-African states gained independence from their colonial European rulers, except for a few small Spanish colonies on the far northern tip of Morocco, and the Western Sahara, which went from Spanish to Moroccan rule. It is a point of consideration that, had it not been for colonialism,
the North-African countries would not have witnessed the signs of modernity that are found in many areas of North-African societies today. The Kingdom of Morocco achieved independence, after being a French Protectorate (part of France’s Trans-Saharan Empire), on 2 March 1956, and additional territories held by Spain achieved independence shortly afterwards: NorthernMarruecoson7April1956,Tangieron29October1956and,finally, Tarfaya (Southern Marruecos) on 27 April 1958. Algeria achieved independence on 3 July 1962 after 130 years of French rule. The country has had a history of conflictthroughtheNationalLiberationFront’sfightagainsttheFrenchcolonial administration, which continues in the current struggle between the country’s military and Islamic militants. Since the independence of Morocco in 1956, the situation for the majority of women has improved very slowly. More people live in the cities rather than in rural communities (37.8 per cent in 1975, rising to 57.5 per cent by 2000). Women constitute 51 per cent of the population and 34 per cent of the working population, which looks promising when compared with 30 per cent in Spain or 39 per cent in Germany. However, the positions and status of workers in the urban areas are low, with women making up only 25 per cent of the workforce. Of these, 44 per cent work in the craft industries and 47 per cent in commerce, domestic roles and general administration. The illiteracy rate amongst women is 61percent,andonlyhalfoftheworkingwomenholdanyformalqualification (Cincera 2004). In 1963, women won the right to vote and be elected to governmental and parliamentary positions. Between 1997 and 2007, the number of women engaged in parliamentary work quadrupled, and women’s involvement in political decision-making at all levels is now increasing at a rapid rate. HeavilyinfluencedbytheirMuslimheritage,North-Africancountrieshave a keen sense of tradition as well as a strong sense of unity. The inhabitants are, in view of their proximity to southern Europe, also attuned to Western lifestyles, as can be seen in the people’s dress styles and other customs. Although they have differing histories, current policies and practices, the people of North Africa share a mixture of Arab and African identities and a predominantlySunniMuslimfaith(97percentinLibya,98percentinAlgeriaand99 per cent in Tunisia and Morocco). Libya has a population of 6.3 million, Tunisia 10.5 million, Algeria 34.1 million and Morocco 34.8 million. They also currently share a fascination for sport, as well as great admiration for successful sportsmen and women. Enthusiasm for sport originates from the early daysofcolonisation.Itcanbeclaimed,justifiably,thatmodernformsofsport such as tennis, swimming, basketball, gymnastics, fencing, football and athletics were largely ‘imported’ during the period of colonisation in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. Military training systems were also established alongside sports clubs and associations. These were, however, predominantly for men, with discrimination from the church and schools continuing women’s marginalisation in sporting participation on the grounds of gender inappropriateness (Zeleza and Eyoh 2003).
