Akhannouch urges ministerial departments to carry out final consultations to include women’s economic empowerment measures in 2024 budget programming

The Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch urged Friday all the ministerial departments concerned to carry out the final consultations in order to include in their budgetary programming for the year 2024 the measures of women’s economic empowerment and leadership related to each sector.

He also called them to get involved in a vigorous way in the implementation process of the third governmental plan for equality and to commit themselves to concretize its various measures with the concern to define efficiency indicators on the level of their application.

Chairing the first meeting of the National Committee for Gender Equality and Women’s Advancement, Akhannouch has, in this regard, encouraged the departments concerned to organize meetings of communication and awareness with actors active in the field of their intervention to publicize the provisions of the government plan for equality, in addition to establishing thematic commissions and creating a coordinating committee.

He emphasized that the creation of the National Committee for Gender Equality and Women’s Advancement meets the imperative to ensure the convergence of strategies and public policies related to it and ensure efficient coordination between the various government departments concerned and this, to accelerate the implementation of measures to promote women’s status.

While mentioning the notable achievements in promoting women’s situation and gender equality as well as the integration in the social development process and also the participation in the New Development Model which benefits from the High Solicitude of HM King Mohammed VI, he noted that the legal and institutional reforms carried out after the consecration by the constitution of the principle of parity and effective gender equality, have set a main goal namely the promotion of women’s rights, which is reflected today by the continuation of projects launched on this matter.

Akhannouch highlighted the contribution and the scope of the royal speech delivered by HM King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the glorious Throne Day, which has given a new impetus, through the royal directives relating to the necessary revision of the family code and the implementation of institutions as well as the need to ensure effective participation of Moroccan women in all areas of development. This has, according to him, fostered a sustained momentum for the promotion of women’s rights in such a way as to allow it to contribute effectively and fully in the economic, social, cultural and political fields.

He said that the government is concerned about gender equality and women’s rights and gives special attention to this subject in accordance with the goals of sustainable development and the provisions of the New Development Model, announcing in the process that the government is working on establishing an integrated and comprehensive public policy to promote equality and fight against all forms of discrimination and violence against women, in addition to boosting women’s economic empowerment.

For her part, the Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family Aawatif Haya said that this meeting was marked by the presentation of the third governmental action plan for equality, the result, she argues, of a participatory approach involving all government departments, the private sector, elected officials and civil society, in accordance with the High Royal Directions in favor of the need to promote women’s situation and their empowerment in all areas.

In her presentation of the strategic framework of this plan, she mentioned the fundamentals of empowerment, leadership, protection, prevention, rights and values, ensuring that the governmental programs on equality inherent to these fundamentals are now completed, among others, a document on the fight against violence against women as well as the implementation of a preventive scheme in favor of women.

For her part, the Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah highlighted the achievements and important gains in the field of Moroccan women’s rights, under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, noting, however, that the situation of women still faces major challenges.

She also said that the government’s action is focused on this issue, stressing that the social protection project and reforms in the fields of health and education are able to contribute to promoting women’s situation.

This first meeting was an opportunity to present the strategic framework of the third governmental action plan for equality as well as the first program on the economic empowerment of women and leadership.