Khalida Boufdach has made history as the first woman to become President of Algeria’s People’s National Assembly since the country gained independence in 1962.
The 44-year-old physician and member of the National Algerian Party was elected on July 29, 2026, receiving 302 of 366 votes in a secret ballot. She defeated two other candidates, Amine Allouche of the Movement of Society for Peace and Rachid Hassani of the Rally for Culture and Democracy.
Boufdach studied medicine and specialized in allergy and clinical immunology. She graduated from medical school in 2008 and obtained her specialist qualification in 2019. She later held several positions in Algeria’s health sector, including heading a department within the Algiers Directorate of Health in 2023.
Her political career began at the local level. She served on the municipal council of Bordj El Bahri from 2012 to 2017 and was later elected to the Algiers Provincial People’s Assembly in 2021. She entered the national parliament after winning a seat in Algeria’s July 2, 2026 legislative elections.
Her election is particularly significant because women currently hold only 25 of the parliament’s 407 seats, representing around 6% of its membership.
Following her election, Boufdach said that having a woman lead the People’s National Assembly for the first time represents a turning point for Algeria and reflects the country’s political transformation. She also stressed the importance of responsible dialogue, political pluralism and consensus on major national issues.
Her appointment marks a historic development for women’s political representation in Algeria and adds a new chapter to the growing role of women in Arab political and parliamentary life.
