Morocco on Thursday launched its first national strategy for the care economy, a roadmap aimed at expanding care services, strengthening the country's social protection system, and increasing women's participation in the labor market.
The strategy was presented in Rabat during a national conference organized by the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Inclusion and Family, attended by government officials, public institutions, international organizations and members of the diplomatic corps.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Solidarity, Social Inclusion and Family Naima Ben Yahia said the initiative marks "a turning point" in the way care work is viewed, stressing that caregiving should no longer be seen solely as a family responsibility but as a shared commitment involving the state, the private sector, local authorities, social partners and the social and solidarity economy.
The strategy seeks to combine social protection, gender equality, job creation and sustainable financing while responding to Morocco's changing demographic and social landscape.
President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) Abdelkader Amara described the launch as "a crucial step" toward building a more structured and integrated care system, calling for the strategy's objectives to be translated into accessible public services, decent jobs and effective governance.
The initiative received strong backing from international partners. Catherine Bonnaud, Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Morocco, reaffirmed the agency's commitment to supporting the strategy's implementation, while Swiss Ambassador Valentin Zellweger praised Morocco for adopting what he described as a modern vision that recognizes the central role of the care economy in economic development and social cohesion.
Representatives of Sweden, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UN Women also welcomed the initiative, with UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda describing it as a pioneering strategy for the Middle East and North Africa region.
Developed with technical support from the ILO in collaboration with UN Women, the strategy is built around five pillars: expanding and improving the territorial distribution of care services, enhancing the attractiveness of care professions, ensuring sustainable financing, increasing social recognition of care work, and strengthening governance and regulatory frameworks.
According to Morocco's 2026 Gender Budget Report issued by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, investment in the care sector could create more than 51,000 new jobs, around 90% of which are expected to be filled by women.
The report attributes the growing need for care services to significant demographic changes. The average Moroccan household size fell from 4.6 members in 2014 to 3.9 in 2024, while the fertility rate declined to 1.97 children per woman. At the same time, people aged 60 and above now account for nearly 14% of the population, increasing demand for childcare and elderly care services.
The ministry also noted that women perform 84% of unpaid domestic and care work in Morocco, while more than 63% of economically inactive women cite family responsibilities and childcare as the main reason for remaining outside the workforce. Female labor force participation has fallen from 30.4% in 1999 to 19.1% in 2024.
To meet the objectives of Morocco's national preschool expansion program, the country will need to enroll approximately 550,000 additional children. Impact assessments estimate that expanding preschool services alone could generate nearly 51,900 direct jobs, including around 46,700 positions for women.
The report further highlights the growth potential of the country's "silver economy"—goods and services aimed at older adults. Spending by Moroccans aged over 60 is projected to rise from MAD 53 billion (about $5.8 billion at the time) in 2014 to MAD 640 billion (around $70 billion) by 2050, creating new opportunities for investment, entrepreneurship and employment.
Officials said the strategy is intended to reduce the burden of unpaid care work, improve women's economic inclusion and position the care economy as a new driver of Morocco's long-term social and economic development.
