According to High Commissioner for Planning Chakib Benmoussa, the involvement of rural women in Morocco’s economy might yield MAD 25.3 billion ($2.53 billion), or 2.2% of GDP.
During a conference on “Women’s Empowerment in Morocco: Understanding Challenges for Better Action,” Benmoussa highlighted the formidable barriers confronting women in rural communities, including “unpaid employment, limited access to health and education services, as well as difficulties accessing property and financing.”
Results from three significant studies on women’s empowerment and labor market integration were presented during the conference, which was organized by the High Commission for Planning (HCP) in collaboration with UN Women and with assistance from the European Union delegation.
With an emphasis on closing wage inequities, appreciating unpaid labor, and reinforcing industries with high female labor intensity, the first study offered a benchmark of policies and societal shifts influencing women’s labor market participation.
The second study shows that rural women’s economic potential is still underutilized, particularly when looking at their economic engagement.
The third study examines gender disparities using the SDG framework, utilizing data from the 2022 National Household Living Standards Survey to address indicator gaps in reproductive health, economic resources, and land rights.
According to Benmoussa, the New Development Model (NDM) established gender equality as both “a matter of equity and social justice” and “a powerful driver of growth and development.”
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular SDG 5, which seeks to abolish discrimination against women, value and acknowledge unpaid labor, and guarantee women’s full and effective involvement in the political, economic, and social spheres, is in line with these objectives, he continued.
The general population and housing census data from 2024 provide a contradictory image of Moroccan women’s situation. Daniele Dotto, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Morocco, stated that the female labor market participation rate is 19.1% in 2024.
Particularly, new findings from the African Women’s Inclusion Index (AWII) 2025 rank Morocco 32nd out of 42 African countries with an overall score of 44.2. The country’s financial inclusion score is 35.5, while economic inclusion remains lower at 27.7.
In order to better understand gender trends and direct public policies toward a more inclusive labor market, these findings will be taken into account in surveys that are scheduled for 2025–2026, especially the time budget survey and the national family survey.
Women’s economic empowerment is “essential for ensuring their full contribution to the national economy, strengthening family and community resilience, and promoting sustainable and equitable growth,” said Myriem Noussairi, UN Women Representative in Morocco.
