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Fatma Badredine, 94, a berber woman from the Chaouia region, who has facial tattoos, sits inside her house in Arris at the Aures Mountain near the eastern city of Batna, Algeria October 8, 2015. Traditionally, the more a woman was tattooed the higher she was prized by local men. Badredine was tattooed aged 13 years old by a nomadic woman from the Sahara region. "I had to endure excruciating pain just to look pretty", Badredine said. "I wanted to have the tattoo removed but my doctor advised against it, my age doesn't allow it". Some believers have told these Muslim women that by allowing the tattoos they committed a sin according to Islam. To make amends, those who regret having the tattoos give away their treasured silver jewellery to the most deprived women they know. Even so, one woman said being tattooed brought her luck and allowed her to have many children, saving her marriage in the process. (Photo by Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)
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