Morocco Ranks 102nd Globally in Women’s Representation in Legislative Work
Rabat, Morocco – Morocco has secured the 102nd position worldwide for women’s participation in legislative bodies, with female parliamentarians constituting 24.3% of the House of Representatives, according to the latest data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Morocco’s Parliamentary Gender Representation
The North African kingdom currently has 95 women serving in parliament, marking an improvement from the previous legislative term (2016-2021) which saw only 81 female MPs. This progress follows the September 2021 elections conducted under Morocco’s constitutional framework established in 2011.
The IPU’s ranking system evaluates 183 countries based on the proportion of women in directly elected parliamentary chambers or equivalent institutions. While Morocco’s position reflects gradual progress, it still trails significantly behind global leaders in gender-balanced governance.
Global Leaders in Women’s Political Representation
Rwanda continues to dominate the global ranking with an impressive 63.8% female representation in parliament following the July 2024 elections. Cuba follows closely in second place at 55.7%, with Nicaragua completing the top three at 55%.
European nations making notable appearances include:
- Andorra (5th place)
- Iceland (9th at 46%)
- Monaco and Finland (10th and 11th respectively)
African and International Comparisons
Several African nations outperformed Morocco in gender representation:
- Cape Verde
- South Africa
- Ethiopia
- Senegal
- Namibia
- Mozambique
All these countries boast female parliamentary representation exceeding 38%.
Other notable rankings include France at 42nd place (208 women among 508 MPs) and the United States at 77th (28.9% women). Morocco’s position remains higher than several countries including Turkey, Slovakia, and Saudi Arabia.
Regional Context and Historical Progress
Algeria’s ranking at 172nd place (7.9% women) highlights Morocco’s relative progress in the region. However, Morocco’s journey toward gender parity in politics has been gradual.
Female representation in Morocco’s parliament remained minimal for decades post-independence before showing its first significant increase in 1993. The 2011 constitutional reforms provided additional momentum, with each subsequent election under the new framework showing improved numbers of elected women.
While Morocco’s current ranking reflects ongoing challenges in achieving gender parity in politics, the steady increase in female representation demonstrates the country’s commitment to progressive reforms in legislative gender equality.