Rédaction Africa Links 24 with L’Opinion avec MAP
Published on 2024-03-12 14:50:00
Speaking on behalf of the Moroccan delegation participating in the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), Ms. Hayar emphasized that Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty the King, places special importance on strengthening women’s rights.
She recalled a passage from the Throne Speech of 2022 in which the King stated, “Our ambition is to continue building an advanced Morocco strong in its dignity. It is essential that all Moroccans, men and women, take an active part in the development dynamic. This is why We once again emphasize the necessity for Moroccan women to contribute fully in all areas.”
The minister indicated that in 2023, His Majesty the King initiated the process of revising the Family Code, entrusting the supervision of this major reform to judicial, legal, religious, and governmental institutions. This collective and participatory process involves input from civil society organizations and researchers, aiming to enhance family balance in line with the Constitution and international conventions ratified by Morocco.
Referring to the project of generalizing social protection launched by His Majesty the King, the speaker specified that this initiative aims to expand mandatory health insurance, reduce poverty and social disparities, and support the purchasing power of families, including those led by women, who represent approximately 17% of all households in Morocco.
All Moroccans now benefit from medical coverage since 2022, including needy individuals who are unable to contribute to the health insurance system, Ms. Hayar noted, highlighting the launch in December 2023 of a direct social assistance program aimed at improving living conditions for families, especially those with newborns, school-age children, individuals with disabilities, or elderly dependents.
The minister also mentioned that, in line with the 2011 Constitution, Morocco has established the National Committee for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, a mechanism that adopts a participative approach in coordination with all stakeholders from the public and private sectors, elected regional and local councils, as well as civil society.
This committee developed the framework for the Equality and Gender Parity Strategy by 2035 and the Governmental Plan for Equality 2023-2026, including programs and efficiency indicators with a specific annual budget and a digital monitoring mechanism.
Recalling government initiatives to enhance access to financing for women in difficult situations such as “Forsa,” “Intilaka,” and “GISSR”, the Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family noted that Morocco sets an example in gender-sensitive budgeting and financial inclusion to bridge gender gaps.
She specified that Morocco has been adopting a gender-sensitive budget since 2002 and preparing an annual report on the subject since 2005, recalling the establishment in 2013 of the Center of Excellence for Gender-Sensitive Budgeting and the adoption of a roadmap in 2016 to align the financial sector with sustainable development goals. This roadmap aims to improve women’s access to financial services and enhance financial education.
Ms. Hayar also mentioned the adoption of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy in 2019, the enactment of the 2021 Cooperative Law supporting projects led by women, and the launch in 2022 by His Majesty the King of the National Charter for Investment encouraging projects that promote women’s participation in sustainable development goals.
She recalled that in 2021, Morocco adopted a law setting a quota for women on the boards of directors of publicly traded companies to a minimum of 30% by 2024 and 40% by 2027.
Addressing the situation of Palestinian women and girls, the minister emphasized that Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, President of the Al-Quds Committee, is committed to continuing to support Arab and international efforts to help the Palestinian people overcome their challenges.
The current session of the Commission on the Status of Women, taking place from March 11 to 22 at the UN headquarters, is themed “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and empowering all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing for gender equality.”
Representatives from member states, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations from all regions of the world are participating in this event. Discussions during this session focus on measures and investments to end women’s poverty and promote gender equality.
Read the original article(French) on L’Opinion
