News Center_In the record of the Algerian revolution,filled with the namws of mes and women who confronted French coloialism,the name Ouarida Meddad stands out as one of the young women who gave their lives for the freedom of this homeland.

Despite her early,her story has remainded a testament to the pivotal role Algerian women played in the battte for national liberation, as she transformed from a girl form a modest family into a fedayee who carried the message of the revolution untiol the very last moment of her life.

Ouarida Meddad was born in 1938 in the city of Algiers, to a family with roots in the Kabylie region. She grew up un a conservative enviornment marked by difficult social and economic conditions,though this did not prevent her from attending primary school, before she was forced to leave due to the prevailing social norms of the time.

she later continued her education at the Al-Sabah Islamic School, then pursued vocational training in sewing_a common path for girls of that era.

From Civilian Life to Fedayee Work

With the outbreak of the Algerian War of Independence on November 1,1954,Ouarida Meddad began following news of the armed struggle against French colonialism with great interest.  In 1956,when her family's home hosted a number of Natiiional Liberation Front (FLN)fighters, she insistently asked to join the ranks of the revolution,despite her father's objections and the danger of the mission.

Convinced by her enthusiasm, the leadership gave her the code name "Maryam," marking the beginning of a new chapter in her life defined by underground struggle and fedayee work within the Algerian capital, which was at the time the scene of fierce battles.

As what became known as the "Battle of Algiers" escalated, Ouarida Meddad's mission grew increasingly dangerous, as French forces imposed a tight security siege on the capital's neighborhoods and intensified arrest and search campaigns. Despite this, she continued carrying out her duties steadfastly, helping maintain communication under extremely difficult conditions.

Arrest and Torture

In 1957,after one fedayee was arrested and to tortured,French forces managed to reacha number of member of the fedayee network,among them Ouardia Meddad.

She was taken to an interrogation center, where she was subjected to brutal forms of torture aimed at extracting information about FLN activity and the names of her comrades. Historical accounts indicate that she remained steadfast in her silence, refusing to disclose any information that could harm the Algerian resistance.

After interrogators failed to break her will, she was tortured and thrown from the balcony of a building, which led to her death on August 2, 1957, at not yet nineteen years old. Her death is considered one of the most striking images of Algerian women's resilience during the war of liberation.

An Enduring Legacy

After Algeria's independence, Ouardia Meddad became one of the national figures whose memory is honored annually, with her name given to a number of educatiioinl institutions,neighborhoods,and streets across various provinces of the country, commemorating her sacrifices and preserving the memory of the revolution for new generations.

Her name has also been given to university graduating classes and official institutions, including the eleventh graduating class of the National Higher School of Social Security, named after the martyr Ouarida Meddad in honor of her national legacy.

Ouarida Meddad's story reflects an important dimension of Algerian revolutionary history, as women were not merely supporters of the resistance, but participated in fedayee operations, transported weapons and messages, and endured arrest and torture.

Ouarida Meddad was one of the young women who chose the path of freedom at the cost of their own lives, her story remaining a symbol of devotion to the homeland, and proof that Algerian women were essential partners in achieving independence — their sacrifices still living in the hearts of Algerians today.