Hassiba Ben Bouali[1] was born in El-Asnam (Today, Chlef), Algeria,[2] into an aristocratic family.

[3] Her parents moved to Algiers in 1947, where she studied at the Lycée Delacroix (high-school).

She joined the Scout Movement, and her travels made her aware of the conditions of the Algerian people under the colonial government.

In the 1957 Battle of Algiers, she and three companions including Ali Ammar (aka Ali La Pointe) were killed when French forces bombed their hideout in the Casbah.

Benbouali was depicted in the movie The Battle of Algiers by actress Fusia El Kader.