Major advances made by Morocco in the field of women's rights were highlighted Friday in New York during the 2022 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations.
"Under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, Morocco is committed to equality between men and women as a fundamental human right," said Representative Omar Hejira, on behalf of the Moroccan delegation participating in this event held under the theme "Building political support and inclusive responses to sustainable recovery".
Hejira, who was speaking at a panel on "gender equality in decision-making processes as a key element of a sustainable recovery", noted that the reform of the Moudawana in 2004 and the Constitution of 2011 have brought "profound changes" in women's rights in Morocco, believing that any sustainable development strategy must be based on equality.
The Kingdom has also made "great" progress in strengthening the representation of women and their access to decision-making positions, saying that the Moroccan parliament now has 95 women MPs out of 395, a rate of 24.05%.
In elected institutions, such as local and regional councils, the presence of women is substantial, said Hejira, member of the Istiqlali Group of Unity and Egalitarianism, adding that the mayors of the cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech are women.
In the same vein, he noted that the Moroccan government has six women ministers in key positions such as the economy and finance, tourism and housing, noting that women are also at the helm of major institutions such as the Court of Auditors.
The Moroccan representative also pointed out that 57% of the doctors and 67% of the medical staff contributing to the efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic are women.
