Morocco 
Enhancing women's political participation in Morocco

afrol News, 3 June - One year before the general elections in Morocco, international and national organisations are preparing the field for an enhanced political participation of women. Morocco has one of the lowest rates of women's participation in government and politics globally, with only one female minister and no female parliamentarians.

In preparation for the 2001 revision of the electoral code and the 2002 elections in Morocco, the UN gender agency UNIFEM is working with the Centre for Women's Leadership of the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women "to mobilize advocates for increased representation of women in electoral bodies," according to a UNIFEM news release.

As part of the project, a Memorandum to Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi was prepared, calling for the introduction of positive measures in the electoral code to give priority to women's recruitment. "Proposed measures include a quota system, voting using a system of proportional representation and ending the practice of elected officials holding more than one office concurrently," UNIFEM reports. 

UNIFEM says, "The Memorandum's proposals were well received by the Minister in Charge of Women's Condition and were subsequently included in the governmental strategy for the promotion of women's political participation and access to decision-making posts." 

Moreover, as a result of women's advocacy around the Memorandum, the largest party of the ruling coalition adopted a 20% quota for women in the election of members to its Administrative Committee and its Bureau. 

This will signify a major achievement for Moroccan women's participation in politics. At present, there is only 1 female minister delegate in the 33-member Cabinet. There are no women among the 325 members of the Chamber of Representatives, and only one woman in the 270-seat Chamber of Counsellors. Women occupy only 84 out of 22,000 seats (or 0.34 percent) of local communal councils throughout the country. 

Women's situation in Morocco has marked significant improvements since Mohammed VI became king in July 1999. In March 2000, for the first time in the country's history, King Mohammed VI appointed a female royal counsellor. In August 2000, the King also appointed a woman to head the National Office of Oil Research and Exploration, and in September 2000 he confirmed the first-ever female ministerial appointment. In October 2000, the King appointed the first woman to head the National Office of Tourism.

Socialist Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi, in charge since 1998, also has made moves to improve women's situation in Morocco, where women's rights maybe are more influenced by tradition than in any other African country. Youssoufi has worked for the promotion of women's "effective participation" in priority sectors through combating illiteracy, promoting girls schooling, improving reproductive health and upgrading empowerment of women. 

Youssoufi and King Mohammed VI in November 1999 achieved World Bank support and financing of their action plan to promote the participation of women in sustained development in Morocco. The plan revolves around four axes: fighting illiteracy, increasing girls schooling, improving mother and child health, promoting women's entrepreneurial capacities and political empowerment of women. It is scheduled to be completed by 2003.

Illiteracy is estimated at 41% among men and 65% among women and the rate of girls attending basic education stands at 35% in the rural world against 47 % in cities.

These initiatives have however met massive resistance within the strong religious groups, especially with respect to the controversial reform of women's legal status in marriage and family law issues. In March 2000, an estimated 50,000 demonstrators marched peacefully in Rabat in support of political reform in the area of women's rights. At the same time, Islamist groups organised a counterdemonstration in Casablanca that drew an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 persons protesting such reform.

King Mohammed VI however seems unimpressed by Islamist resistance. Half a year ago, he decorated the controversial Aicha Ech-Chenna for her social work. Ech-Chenna, president of "Feminine Solidarity", had earlier received threats against her person from Islamists for organisations work to encourage the social reintegration of marginalized and abandoned single mothers with illegitimate children. Those opposed to Ech-Chenna's work have characterised it as encouraging prostitution. 

While the political leadership slowly starts to embrace the ideals of promoting women socially and in politics, women's situation in rural areas however remains totally abandoned to traditional practices. Access to educations remains poor and women are subdued patriarchal marriage institutions. Women organisation's voices however finally are heard loudly all over the country, under government protection. 

Sources: UNIFEM, US government, Arabic News and afrol archives

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