By Sarah Saoud
By Sarah Saoud
Morocco World News
Meknes, Morocco, January 24, 2012
In a small exchange with a friend, he expressed his full disagreement with the national list. “The important thing is women’s representation in government, because that’s the real seat of decisions”, he said.
Unfortunately, that was not the case in Benkirane’s government. On January 3, we discovered that the coalition of four parties has managed to give rise to a 99% male cabinet. Out of 31 ministers, only one woman succeeded in finding a place in a ministry that belongs to her in the first place. And to justify, government members did not stop trying to convince us that competence and probity are the essential criteria for a minister’s profile. And who said the opposite? Since when do competence and probity not correspond with women?! Moreover, a study made by Michel Ferrary has fully shown that women are the antidote for the financial crises: proof of incompetence maybe?!
Perhaps, the decision makers haven’t heard the voice of the street, or perhaps they have misunderstood it, and went through the change. Indeed, after women’s entry in government thanks to Abdelatif Filali, they, now, “celebrate” their deportation because of Abdelilah Benkirane. However, the question that keeps bothering me is: whose fault is it?! Is it the party leaders’ fault because they didn’t put forward enough women representatives, or the prime minister’s fault, because he didn’t accommodate their presence, or maybe, the king’s fault, because he approved a government with in which women representativity was reduced, or even absent.
On 19 January, the prime minister held a session in front of the two assemblies (of Representatives and Councilors) to present the government program. Feminists of Morocco took advantage of that assembly to express their indignity about their exclusion from the government. But Benkirane had already prepared a response which is the setting of an authority for gender equality. He hoped that this master chief – made in Morocco- would soothe the voices of feminists, but that was not the case, since they will continue to be militant until women find their honorable position in our Arab society.
On the other hand, there is the PSU – Unified Socialist Party- a conservative political party, but yet its presidency has gone to a woman: Nabila Mounib who became the second female party leader in Morocco. In an interview, she said: “My election is a new battle won by all women, for an egalitarian society, the presence of a woman in the government, however, is in a very serious recession.”
Who said we’re suffering from a lack of female profiles?!!
Sarah Saoud is a Morocco World News’ contributor
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy.
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