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Rabat – The House of Councillors devoted part of its session on Tuesday to a wide-ranging discussion on how Morocco can better recognize women’s unpaid domestic labor and its social and economic impact.
During the session, Minister of Solidarity, Naima Ben Yahya delivered an extensive presentation outlining the weight of responsibilities women carry inside the household.
She noted that this work, although unpaid, remains a “service-producing activity” that includes childcare, household maintenance, cooking, small-scale farming, and assistance in family businesses.
This discussion also aligns with recent data from the High Commission for Planning (HCP), which points to significant shifts in Morocco’s household structure over the past decade.
According to figures presented in 2024 by High Commissioner Chakib Benmoussa, the share of households led by women has continued to rise, moving from 16.2% in 2014 to 19.2% in 2024, more than 1.77 million families across the country.
The increase is evident in both rural and urban settings, with rural households headed by women climbing from 11.6 to 14.5% and urban households from 18.6 to 21.6 %.
The census also shows a marked expansion in single-person households, now representing 11.1% of all households compared to 7.2% a decade earlier.
These trends reinforce the urgency of addressing unpaid domestic work, as the social and economic responsibilities carried by women continue to expand alongside these demographic changes.
The economy no one pays women for
Ben Yahya underlined that Moroccan women, much like women globally, take on close to 90% of unpaid domestic duties.
The issue, she said, falls within the broader royal orientations aimed at strengthening women’s rights and aligns with constitutional principles and the government’s agenda.
She described the recognition of domestic work as a matter of “dignity and fairness,” pointing out that many homemakers perform daily labor despite commonly saying they “do not work,” a perception she argued must be reconsidered.
“It is unacceptable that millions of women assume essential roles within their families without any form of acknowledgment or protection,” she told lawmakers.
The minister also said that her department has launched a national consultation process supported by comparative studies of international practices.
This work has led to initial proposals that could form the basis of a new public policy framework.
Among the recommendations are income support or financial transfers for women without earnings, enabling homemakers to access social protection schemes, integrating domestic work into national employment indicators, and allowing non-salaried women to qualify for pensions.
Other suggestions include financial allowances for mothers and spouses and counting child-rearing years toward retirement benefits. She noted that some countries have introduced “partial pensions” for individuals who paused their careers to care for their children.
For how long?
Ben Yahya said the government will continue refining these options to develop an equitable approach that recognizes the extensive, often invisible contributions made by women inside their homes, in line with Morocco’s human rights and development commitments.
While the discussion marks a welcome step, many observers argue that these efforts remain insufficient in a country that has long fallen behind in advancing policies for women.
Despite repeated public commitments to improve gender equality, progress has often moved slowly, leaving large segments of women without meaningful protection or economic visibility.
The current debate should be treated as a starting point rather than an endpoint, especially as unpaid domestic work continues to shape the lives of millions across Morocco who do not have the privilege of choice.
