an electrical connector is provided in which a male connector is fitted into a female connector in such a manner that terminals are prevented from being bent even if the male connector is mistakenly fitted so as to be slanted at an angle with respect to the female connector . the electrical connector includes a male connector for sliding insertion into a female connector . a locking arm is mounted on a upper wall of the male connector . a bending preventing member protrudes from an inner wall face of the female connector and extends forwardly toward an opening of the hood of the female connector . an escape portion is formed by recessing in a front end face of the locking arm of the male connector to allow the bending preventing member of the female connector to enter thereinto . in this way , the terminals of the female connector are prevented from being bent since the bending preventing member contacts the front end face of the male connector and is not inserted into the escape portion when the male connector is mistakenly fitted so as to be slanted at an angle with respect to the female connector .