Hannah Beirer
Abstract:
The French ‘anti separatism’ bill, which portrays polygamy as oppressive, highlights the significance of understanding how colonialist views on polygamy in the 19th century shaped the perception of the Algerian Muslim ‘Other’ in terms of their citizenship and gender. This paper will investigate the role of French feminists in shaping these gendered views and the resulting racialized and gendered narratives. The institutionalization and scientization of monogamy and polygamy led to the creation of a colonized ‘Other’ in Algeria, particularly Algerian Muslims, with different citizenship statuses assigned based on proximity to Western monogamy. French feminist discourse added a gendered dimension, framing polygamy as nonconsensual due to its deviation from monogamous nature of women, while men's sexuality was presented as more inclined towards polygamy, justifying the denial of citizenship. This reinforced the subordinate position of the colonized through the education and 'enlightenment' of colonized women about their supposed inferior status due to polygamy, while colonized men were branded as sexual predators due to their polygamous nature. At the same time, this strengthened the status of white women and gave them credibility in the fight for the right to vote.
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