In the run-up to Morocco's legislative elections on September 23, 2026, a barometer has been developed to assess the commitments of nine major political parties to gender equality and women's rights. The barometer, created by the Federation of the Women's Rights League and the Center for Information and Observation of Moroccan Women, compares the parties' commitments to constitutional rights, public policies, and socio-economic transformations. The nine parties under scrutiny are the National Rally of Independents, Authenticity and Modernity Party, Independence Party, Socialist Union of Popular Forces, Progress and Socialism Party, Popular Movement, Justice and Development Party, the Left Alliance, and the Constitutional Union.
The barometer evaluates the parties' commitments based on the 2011 Constitution's Article 19, which enshrines equality between men and women in civil, political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. It also considers the Family Code as part of the legal framework and a responsibility of the parties. The 2014-2020 development model is another reference point, particularly its goal of increasing women's activity rate to 45% by 2035. However, the barometer notes that achieving this goal requires a deeper public debate, especially in light of Morocco's recent socio-economic transformations, including climate change, agricultural shifts, and technological advancements.
The barometer reveals that only three parties have set specific numerical targets for increasing women's activity rates. The Authenticity and Modernity Party aims for 21.2% by 2031, the Progress and Socialism Party targets 25%, and the Socialist Union of Popular Forces aims for over 30%. The other parties have not specified numerical targets but have proposed concrete measures and mechanisms. These measures include initiatives related to childcare, care economy, return to work, equal pay, women's entrepreneurship, financing, public procurement, transportation, and services in rural areas.
The barometer also examines the parties' policies on health, particularly women's health, including maternal health, reproductive health, and mental health. It assesses their approaches to violence against women, including prevention, reporting, protection, justice, shelter, and psychological and social support. Furthermore, the barometer evaluates the parties' commitments to gender parity, including candidate selection, party financing, training, and conflict resolution.
In addition to these areas, the barometer investigates the parties' stances on purchasing power, considered a matter of equality, as it affects women differently based on income, geographic location, family situation, and care burden. It also looks into governance, transparency, access to information, conflict of interest, and accountability. For each commitment, the barometer seeks to identify the responsible party, means, timeline, indicators, published results, and evaluation mechanisms.
The barometer poses several key questions to the parties, including how they plan to adapt their strategies for increasing women's economic activity to the changing economic landscape from 2026 to 2031. It also inquires about their plans to rehabilitate women workers threatened by climate change, competition, and artificial intelligence, and how they intend to ensure a comprehensive approach to eliminating violence against women, including political and digital violence.
The analysis aims to stimulate a more profound public debate on the path to achieving gender equality and women's empowerment in Morocco. By scrutinizing the parties' commitments, the barometer seeks to promote accountability and encourage the development of effective strategies for advancing women's rights and participation in Moroccan society.
Key points
- Only three Moroccan parties have set specific targets for increasing women's activity rates by 2031.
