The Tuareg woman is not veiled, the man is ! She enjoys great freedom: choice of husband, freedom of manners ... It is she who takes care of the tent and nomadic paraphernalia. She knows the Tifinagh alphabet, stories, legends, and teaches children. It is also the woman who ensures the long-term status of children. It is from the maternal lineage that the aristocratic powers are transmitted.
Everything that materializes the family unit belongs to her such as the tent and its contents. She manages and supervises the camp in the absence of men and she participates in all decisions even in his presence. She is involved in all social, cultural and economic fields. The sedentary policies of the 1970s and 1980s, repeated droughts and young people seeking "modernity" and more comfort, have undermined this way of life.
algerian desert
Road along the algerian desert
ALGERIA - CULTURE
They can read the desert, depending on the shape and color of the dunes, find their landmarks by observing the shadows of the rocks or even of the stars. Knowledge that tends to be lost, because the youngest aspire to a more modern and urban lifestyle.