25-03-2025
Morocco Ranks 32nd in Africa for Women's Inclusion, Progress Still Slow
Rabat – Morocco has made some progress in advancing women's political and legal rights, but significant challenges remain in economic and financial inclusion.
According to the newly released African Women's Inclusion Index (AWII) 2025, Morocco ranks 32nd out of 42 African countries, with an overall score of 44.2, which is considered poor.
Despite improvements in leadership representation, the country continues to lag in key areas. In addition, the report revealed a trend of slow progress for women's inclusion in North Africa, the worst-performing subregion on the continent.
'North Africa is the worst-performing subregion, with the lowest scores in all dimensions except leadership,' the report reads.
It noted that Morocco has taken steps to promote gender equality in leadership. The country's leadership score increased by 27.6 points between 2017 and 2022 to reach 44.9, which reflects efforts to ensure more women participate in governance.
Legal reforms have also played a role, with Morocco lifting most of its reservations on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 2011, except for arbitration-related articles.
The report also recalled that government-led initiatives like ICRAM 1 and 2 have helped reserve a third of seats in commune and province councils for women and introduced exclusive electoral lists for female candidates.
Public attitudes towards gender equality in leadership are shifting as well. A 2022 Afrobarometer survey found that 62% of Moroccans support equal opportunities for women and men in political office and reject the idea that men are inherently better leaders.
Despite these political and legal advancements, Morocco is struggling in economic and financial inclusion. The country's financial inclusion score stands at 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 gains are not enough to significantly close the gender gap in economic participation.
North Africa as a whole is the worst-performing subregion in women's inclusion, with Mauritania, Algeria, and Egypt trailing behind in the 39th, 40th, and 41st spots, respectively.
The AWII 2025 shows that while Africa has made some progress, the overall rate of change remains insufficient. Women's financial and economic inclusion is projected to improve by only 6.6 percentage points from 2020 to 2030.
'At this rate, Africa will not achieve full financial and economic inclusion of women until 2093—63 years after the end of this African Women's Decade,' the report reads.
It also stressed that this slow progress reflects the need for urgent policy changes and targeted interventions to break down barriers preventing women from fully participating in the economy. Tags: Africawomen inclusionwomen rights
