EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3.79 Pressure from women‟s associations and public opinion, and the ratification of the CEDAW in 1996, led the government to propose certain amendments to family law. The amendments reflected a new appreciation of what constitutes a family and how the family unit functions, in particular, conditions governing marital relations, divorce, parental rights and parent-child relations. Some saw this as a development that would hasten the desired change in mentality and help remove gender disparities, while others argued that the code contradicts the constitutional principle of equality of the sexes, especially as far as divorce and succession were concerned. Other provisions contested by associations and broad bands of public opinion include, notably, the retention of the institution of “tutorat” (guardianship) in the marriage contract, considered by many as a symbol of the way Algerian women are infantilised. 3.80 The remarkable breakthrough in terms of the education of girls, together with the changes in mindsets and economic transformations that the country has experienced, means that Algeria will have to adopt new measures to promote equal opportunities for men and women in the country‟s political, economic and social life. The drafting and adoption of a national law on gender to provide a reference framework that can be used for all sectors of development is therefore extremely important. 3.81 Generally, the Algerian government would benefit from engaging in dialogue to identify appropriate measures for prohibiting all forms of discrimination against women. 3.5.4 Youth unemployment 3.82 The youth constitute a large proportion of the total population. Surveys conducted by the National Employment Agency in 2006 indicate that 85 per cent of the unemployed are aged between 16 and 39 years. This figure drops to 32 per cent for the 16-24 age bracket; 28 per cent for 25-29 years; and 25 per cent for 30-39 years. A large proportion of the youth are female. The majority of job-seekers are graduates, of which 33 per cent were skilled staff, 8 per cent were senior technicians and 2 per cent were highly skilled personnel. Jobseekers with no training constituted only 35 per cent. 3.83 Unemployment of young people represents a major economic, political and social challenge in Algeria. It is primarily a political challenge because young, jobless persons are a source of labour for terrorist groups and extremists opposing the current political order. It also represents an economic challenge because the youth account for a large proportion of the workforce, and thus of domestic demand. Unemployment limits the capacity of these persons to be involved in the economic development of the country. In addition, it is a social challenge because unemployment exposes the youth to ills such as drug use and trafficking, AIDS and prostitution. Often being the victims of exclusion, the youth are among the most vulnerable groups in society. The government is conscious of this danger and has taken robust measures to resolve the problem 23