Rabat — Women’s leadership in Africa represents a strategic advantage that could transform the continent’s economic future, according to Lamia Bazir, who moderated a panel on female leadership at the 17th MEDays Forum in Tangier this week.
Bazir argued that women bring distinct qualities to leadership positions.
“Women bring a leadership style that is very particular and that is collaborative, long-term, disruptive, and anchored in social cohesions,” she said in an interview with Morocco World News (MWN). These qualities matter in a world defined by complexity, uncertainty, and global interdependence.
The evidence supports her position. When women participate fully in economic and political life, companies become more profitable, public policies become more inclusive, communities become more resilient, and economies grow faster, Bazir noted.
Africa’s untapped potential
In Africa, where 70% of the population is under 30, women already form the backbone of economic and social activity, Bazir noted, arguing that they still face barriers that limit their ability to influence decision-making at scale.
She framed the issue as an economic imperative rather than a moral one: “A lack of women’s leadership is not a moral imperative. It is a very strategic investment, and it is Africa’s, or at least one of Africa’s strongest competitive advantages for the decade ahead,” she noted.
A three-part solution
Transformation requires action from governments, businesses, and civil society, according to Bazir.
Governments should provide an enabling environment through education, legal protection, political participation frameworks, and better access to finance.
The private sector must invest in leadership pipelines, adjust employment and recruitment models, eliminate biases, and support women-led enterprises.
Civil society must shift mindsets, amplify voices, nurture talents, and hold systems accountable.
Education is the foundation
Bazir identified education as the starting point for change. More than 130 million girls remain out of school worldwide. In Morocco, only 44% of rural girls complete secondary education.
The economic cost is staggering. According to UNESCO, if girls completed secondary education, the global economy would gain more than $30 trillion.
“When we educate girls, we really help society, communities thrive, we help institutions strengthen, and economies grow,” Bazir said. She added that investing in girls breaks cycles of exclusion and poverty and helps communities prosper.
Bazir described the future of women’s leadership in Africa as not a theoretical aspiration. It is a shared responsibility and a shared opportunity for us all.”
The conversation at MEDays, she noted, aimed to create collective momentum around a simple truth: “Women’s leadership is no longer a chapter in the story of progress, it is the engine that drives it.”
