Many female candidates' faces hidden as West Bank votes
During campaigning for the local council elections in the West Bank, the photos of many female candidates were withheld.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — During the campaigning for the West Bank's local elections, many of the faces of female candidates were replaced with a rose or silhouette on electoral lists and campaign posters.
About 65% of eligible voters turned out for the first round of voting on Dec. 11. The second round, to be held March 26, will determine the makeup of 66 local councils for larger municipalities.
A total of 765 electoral lists competed for spots on 329 local councils in the West Bank. The 6,299 candidates included 1,599 women, 25.9% of the total.
Areej Odeh, director of the a civil society organization Ramallah called the Women’s Affairs Team, criticized the missing photos.
