Morocco's Women’s Inclusion: progress and challenges ahead

Morocco has made strides in enhancing women’s political and legal rights, yet significant hurdles persist in achieving economic and financial inclusion. The recently published African Women’s Inclusion Index (AWII) 2025 highlights that Morocco ranks 32nd out of 42 African nations, with a concerning overall score of 44.2, categorized as poor.

While the leadership representation of women in Morocco has improved, the country continues to lag in critical areas of inclusion. The report emphasizes that North Africa remains the worst-performing subregion in the continent regarding women’s inclusion, scoring poorly across almost all dimensions except leadership.

In terms of leadership, Morocco has seen a notable increase, with the country’s score rising by 27.6 points from 2017 to 2022, reaching 44.9. This improvement reflects ongoing efforts to enhance female participation in governance. Legal reforms have also contributed positively; since 2011, Morocco has lifted most reservations on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), apart from articles related to arbitration.

Government initiatives, such as ICRAM 1 and 2, have played a pivotal role by reserving a third of seats in commune and province councils for women and introducing exclusive electoral lists for female candidates. Public sentiment is shifting as well, with a 2022 Afrobarometer survey indicating that 62% of Moroccans support equal opportunities for women in political offices and reject the notion that men are inherently better leaders.

Despite these political and legal advancements, economic and financial inclusion remains a pressing issue. Morocco’s financial inclusion score is a mere 35.5, while economic inclusion is even lower at 27.7. Although financial empowerment for women has improved by 27 points in recent years, these advancements are insufficient to significantly narrow the gender gap in economic participation.

North Africa as a whole continues to struggle with women’s inclusion, with Mauritania, Algeria, and Egypt occupying the 39th, 40th, and 41st positions, respectively. The AWII 2025 report indicates that while some progress has been made across Africa, the pace of change is alarmingly slow. Women’s financial and economic inclusion is projected to rise by only 6.6 percentage points from 2020 to 2030.

The report warns that at this current rate, Africa will not achieve full financial and economic inclusion for women until 2093—63 years after the conclusion of the African Women’s Decade. This slow progress underscores the urgent need for policy reforms and targeted interventions to dismantle the barriers that hinder women from fully engaging in the economy.