Algerian lawmakers have elected Khalda Boufdach, a member of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front (FLN), as Speaker of Parliament, making her the first woman in the country’s history to hold the post.
According to Algerian media, Boufdach was elected on Wednesday after a parliamentary vote. A specialist in allergy medicine, she entered parliament as a representative for the capital, Algiers, after previously serving in local politics.
The National Liberation Front, the party that played a leading role in Algeria’s struggle for independence and is now a key ally of the country’s governing establishment, emerged from the latest parliamentary elections as the largest bloc, winning at least 91 of the 407 seats in the National People’s Assembly.
The parliamentary elections recorded a voter turnout of approximately 21 percent, the lowest participation rate in Algeria’s parliamentary election history.
Boufdach’s appointment comes at a time when women’s representation in the Algerian parliament has fallen significantly. Women currently occupy only 25 seats—around six percent of the chamber—compared with 38 in the previous legislature and 118 in the term before that.
Political observers attribute the decline largely to electoral reforms that abolished Algeria’s gender quota system, which had previously guaranteed a higher level of female representation in parliament.
While Boufdach’s election marks a historic breakthrough for women in Algeria’s political leadership, analysts note that it comes against the backdrop of a broader decline in women’s parliamentary participation following changes to the country’s electoral framework.
