Algerian election posters hide female candidates' faces
Anonymised images on campaign posters for the November 28 local elections echo a trend seen since 2012.
Ahead of Algeria's local elections on November 28, many campaign posters feature candidates, primarily women, with only silhouettes or blank spaces instead of photographs. In some instances, even surnames are omitted, raising questions about voters' right to identify those seeking their votes.
This practice, which first appeared in the 2012 legislative elections and intensified by 2017, has led to candidates being dubbed "ghost women." In 2017, electoral monitoring bodies in some regions, like Bordj Bou Arreridj, demanded parties replace such posters within 48 hours or face removal.
An electoral official at the time stated that hiding candidates' faces was an affront to their image and that citizens have a right to know who they are voting for. Parties eventually complied, adding the faces of their female candidates to the posters.
Why it mattersAlgerian voters cannot identify all candidates, particularly women, on election posters for the upcoming local elections.