Event Summary
On 4 August 2025, Algeria lifted, by Presidential Decree No. 25-218, its reservation to Article 15(4) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), a provision guaranteeing women and men equal rights in terms of freedom of movement and choice of residence and domicile. The decree was published in the Official Gazette No. 55 of 17 August 2025. This decision ends a reservation made upon accession in 1996 and is now considered irrelevant in view of legislative developments, in particular the reform of the Family Code in 2005.
Algeria acceded to CEDAW in 1996 with several reservations, including those related to Article 15(4). Since then, a gradual process of adjustment has been underway including reform of the Nationality Code in 2005 allowing the transmission of nationality through the mother and, more broadly, revisions to the Family Code. The withdrawal of the reservation on Article 15(4) is a further step in this direction. Legally, Article 15 enshrines women’s equality in terms of civil capacity and equality in the free choice of residence and domicile. In practical terms, the lifting of the reservation clarifies the State’s international commitment and removes a contradiction in principle between the United Nation’s (UN) framework and domestic law as currently interpreted. It also comes at a time when public debate is polarised on women’s rights; the government presents the measure as “technical”, while some actors see it as a step forward and others fear cultural “alignment”. In any case, publication in the Official Journal makes the decision enforceable and paves the way for formal notification to the UN Secretary-General.
This event is part of an existing pattern of mainly symbolic “small steps” that externalises compliance at the international level while postponing structural reforms. To break with this pattern, the State should publish a legislative timetable, lift all remaining reservations and engage in a participatory process to review discriminatory provisions, with guarantees against backsliding.