Sarah, a 25-year-old nurse, organised one such procession on March 7 during International Women's Day in Oran.

The haik has been forgotten. My grandmother wore it. My mother didn't. As for me, I want the haik to make a comeback. It's part of our cultural heritage: a heritage which is slowly dying, and which could disappear altogether when our elders pass away. I wear the haik, but not the hijab. Many outfits like the hijab have been imported from abroad, particularly from the Middle East. Nowadays, we're tossed to and fro by dress codes that come from other civilisations. Young people don't know what to wear anymore. To find the answer, I think we need to start looking at our own history. The haik is part of that history.

In the streets of Oran.

In Oran



"For me, the haik is not synonymous with oppression. On the contrary, it makes women stand out, makes them elegant"

In Oran's Turkish baths.

Sarah presiding over the ceremony.