Morocco Takes Strides Towards Gender Equality in Education, Employment

Rabat – While Morocco is far from achieving gender parity, the country has made significant strides towards gender equality in education and employment.

In a round table hosted by the Swedish Embassy on Tuesday, experts convened to discuss the implementation of the recommendations from a recent report from the OECD on equality in education, employment, and entrepreneurship in Morocco.

“There is still some obstacle to a full engagement of Moroccan women in the labor market,” Carlos Conde, Head of the Middle East and Africa Division of the OECD told Morocco World News (MWN) on the sidelines of the event.

Carlos Conde, Head of the Middle East and Africa Division of the OECD speaking at the event

Moroccan women also face significant challenges when attempting to venture into entrepreneurship, Conde went on to explain, stressing the importance of women’s integration into the economy. 

“Economic empowerment in Morocco is part of a strategic collaboration with the government of Morocco to improve the productivity of the country, competitiveness of the country, and facilitate the conditions for higher economic growth in Morocco that is able to create more employment,” he said.

In Morocco’s state vision for socio-economic development, the country has set a target of pushing female labor participation into 45% of the overall workforce. However, as of 2023, official data shows that the country remains far from reaching its goal.

As of 2022, female participation in the labor market was at a mere 20%, down from 22% in 2021. World Bank reports warn that Morocco is the only country in the Middle East and North Africa that has witnessed a consistent drop in female labor participation in the past few years.

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A new report from Morocco’s Higher Commission for Planning (HCP) shows that in 2022, 73% of the 15 million active population outside the labor force were women. HCP data further indicates that a sweeping 80% of Morocco’s female population of working age is outside the labor market. 

When asked to comment on the alarming trend, the OECD official said that Morocco faces broader employment issues due to the growth in population. “The economic system does not have the ability to create the employment and the jobs that are necessary to absorb the young population,” he explained. 

Morocco has a demographic structure that is “extremely young,” which means that every year the labor market has to provide more jobs and more opportunities, he lamented.

“Unfortunately, the growth rates are insufficient to promote, to facilitate this access to employment,” he added.

In addition to structural issues relating to the broader economy, Moroccan women face a number of obstacles relating to social norms that hinder equitable access to the labor market.

“The burden of domestic work and caregiving responsibilities that fall on women, making this significant and disproportionate workload compared to men a hindrance to entering the labor market,” UN Women Representative in Morocco Leila Rhiwi told MWN.

UN Women Representative in Morocco Leila Rhiwi

She went on to explain that the issue of violence that women face in family settings and in public spaces or the workplace persists, further obstructing career prospects. 

The UN representative, however, expressed her optimism on the ongoing state efforts to achieve gender parity, explaining that the Moroccan government has a roadmap that aligns with that of the OECD.

The OECD official echoed Rhiwi’s optimism, expressing his satisfaction with the government’s goals, setting women’s participation in the labor force as a priority in the 2021 development model. 

“We are very happy that the Moroccan government has put it as an important priority. And we are very glad to collaborate on that objective,” he said.