Algerian Women in Western Online News During the ‘Hirak’: Emerging Images and Recurring Stereotypes

The Algerian ‘Hirak’ refers to a series of manifestations to protest against the ruling system in Algeria, which began in February 2019. It is considered a historical marker that featured a significant role of women in political change. This research project examined the image of Algerian women in Western media during this period using corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis. It is based on 36 articles reporting on Algerian women during the 'Hirak' movement published by different English news websites. Sketch Engine was used to extract the significant lexical items associated with Algerian women in these articles. Then these items were classified into groups according to the theme they reflect. The analysis of the extracted terms indicates that the framing of Algerian women in English news is linked to six main themes: activism, empowerment, oppression and violence, rights, religion, and family and lifestyle. The findings revealed that the news articles under investigation documented gendering the Algerian ‘Hirak’ and highlighted the emerging image of women as active agents of change, in a similar fashion to that of Arab women during the Arab Spring. They were framed in powerful settings, fighting for their rights and condemning gender-based injustice. Yet, the articles continued to reflect the stereotypical depiction of women’s vulnerability and victimization, linking that to the embedded patriarchal notions in society.