Policy Paper N° 020726 · Applied Research & Development · Peer-reviewed by the Applied Research & Development Sub-committee
Authors: Sara El Jaouhary (Team Lead), Marwa Elfassi, Mohamed Badr Er-Rahaoui, Salsabile Lamine
Youth Inclusion for Gender Justice in Politics (YIGJP) Project, led by the Youth Policy Center in partnership with KVINFO.
Abstract
Morocco has made measurable progress in expanding women’s formal political representation over the past two decades, driven by gender quotas, constitutional amendments, and internationally aligned gender action plans. Reserved parliamentary seats for women were introduced in 2002 and expanded to 90 seats in 2021. After the 2021 local elections, women held 26.6% of municipal council seats and 38.5% of regional council seats.
This literature synthesis examines the structural, institutional, and socio-cultural factors that shape women’s political participation in Morocco. It draws on a comparative desk review of six country cases (Tunisia, Jordan, South Africa, Mexico, Sweden, and New Zealand) to assess which legal and programmatic mechanisms have produced durable gains in political power rather than only formal presence.
The central finding is that Morocco’s main challenge is not the absence of gender-equity policy but its effective and durable implementation. Formal advances are constrained by patriarchal party cultures, exclusion from informal political networks, a lack of mentorship and sponsorship, and uneven enforcement. The report closes with recommendations for political parties, government institutions, parliament, civil society, educational institutions, and international partners, with short-, medium-, and long-term actions and measurable targets.
Keywords: women’s political participation, Morocco, gender quotas, substantive representation, feminist institutionalism, political parties, MENA
