Doha – The Association of Women Business Leaders of Morocco (AFEM) unveiled its 2025-2026 strategic roadmap on December 3, introducing three programs under the “She Impulse: Value Creator” initiative. The announcement marks a significant step toward strengthening women’s role in Morocco’s economic landscape.
The organization will officially launch these programs on December 13, at the Casablanca-Settat Regional headquarters, bringing together public and private partners, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from across the country.
The initiative comprises three distinct programs: She Learn, She Start, and She Industrial. She Learn, developed with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), offers an AI-powered digital learning platform focusing on management, digital marketing, and new technologies. The platform provides personalized guidance through AI agents, allowing women entrepreneurs flexible access to essential business skills.
She Start, implemented in partnership with the Casablanca-Settat Region and Bidaya incubator, targets startup project leaders. The program provides intensive support through specialized training, mentor and investor access, and technological tools to guide entrepreneurs through their project development stages.
The third component, She Industrial, developed with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, aims to integrate women into the industrial sector. The program combines technical training, financing access, and networking opportunities to support innovative and sustainable industrial projects. It plans to finance 180 industrial projects, while She Learn aims to support hundreds of women through customized training programs.
“These partnerships demonstrate both national and international commitment to supporting women’s entrepreneurship, in perfect alignment with the priorities of the New Development Model (NDM) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said AFEM President Leïla Doukali in a press release shared with Morocco World News (MWN).
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She further emphasized the transformative nature of the initiative, stating: “She Impulse proposes a structural transformation of Morocco’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by promoting excellence, innovation, and women’s inclusion in strategic economic sectors.”
Recent data from Morocco’s business landscape reveals significant regional disparities in women’s entrepreneurship. The Marrakech-Safi region leads with 19% female-owned businesses, followed by Casablanca-Settat at 18.8% and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra at 18.7%. However, regions like Drâa-Tafilalet lag significantly at 8.6%, highlighting substantial regional inequalities.
The service sector shows the strongest female presence, with 38% of businesses in other service activities and 35.8% in healthcare and social services being women-led. Education follows at 29.2%, while traditionally male-dominated sectors such as construction and extractive industries show lower female participation at 8.9% and 8.6% respectively.
Statistical trends indicate modest progress in micro-enterprises, where female ownership increased from 16.5% in 2021 to 16.7% in 2022. However, concerning trends emerge in larger enterprises, with female leadership in large companies declining from 13.8% to 12.7% during the same period.
Key partners supporting the initiative include the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Casablanca-Settat Region, EBRD, TamwilCom, CIH Bank, and the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC).
Established in 2000, AFEM is Morocco’s first ISO 9001:2008-certified women’s organization. Operating from Casablanca with seven regional delegations, it promotes women’s entrepreneurship and advocates for women business leaders at national and international levels.
