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Rabat – The UN Women network has congratulated Morocco on its political reforms to promote gender equality and increase female visibility in public life, including the adoption of a quota for gender balance in administrative bodies.
In a press release shared with the Moroccan News Agency (MAP), UN Women pointed out “Morocco is making significant progress towards gender equality by adopting Law 19-20 to amend Law 17-95 and Law No. 5-96.”
Adopting a progressive gender balance quota of 30% after three years and 40% over six years has allowed Morocco to fulfill “its commitments to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),” said the statement.
Meanwhile, draft Law 19-20 focuses on five main axes, including strengthening women’s presence in the corporate world and, particularly, increasing female political representation by appointing more women in positions of power or governance.
According to UN Women, the draft law also provides that Moroccan “companies’ articles of association must stipulate the obligation to strive for a gender balance in the composition of the Boards of Directors (Article 39) and the Supervisory Boards (Article 83).”
The group’s press release further indicated that by January 1 of the third year following the publication of the text in the Official Bulletin, “the representation of each gender of the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board shall not be less than 30% in companies making public offerings.”
It added, “Committees provided for in articles 51, 76 and 106 of Law 17-95 must include at least one representative of each gender at the end of the first ordinary general meeting.”
Morocco’s efforts to coordinate its legal framework with international standards on gender equality contributes to consolidating gender-sensitive governance and promoting female leadership in the corporate world.
Othman El Ferdaous, the Moroccan Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, indicated earlier this year that improved recognition of equality between men and women will contribute to Morocco’s GDP by more than 35%.
Last year, the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said she was impressed by Morocco’s efforts in the field of gender equality, emphasizing that the country can be considered as a “leading example” for many other countries.
