Full Breakdown
Morocco’s First Female Prime Minister: A Milestone Amid Ongoing Gender-Rights Debates
By Drooid · · How we work
Historic Appointment
In the wake of September’s parliamentary election, King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s first female head of government. Her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged as the largest parliamentary group, forming a coalition that controls 207 of the 395 seats. The appointment marks the first time a woman has held the country’s top executive post, a role traditionally reserved for men while the king retains extensive powers over defence and foreign affairs.
Political Landscape and Election Context
Official figures show voter turnout at 38 % of registered voters, with an even lower proportion of all eligible voters casting ballots. Analysts such as Dr Irene Fernandez-Molina of the University of Exeter describe the appointment as “authoritarian state feminism,” suggesting the move serves regime legitimation rather than signalling a systemic shift in women’s rights.
Ongoing Family-Law Reform Debate
Morocco’s family code (the Moudawana) remains a focal point of gender-equality discussions. Current inheritance rules grant daughters half the share of sons; the Higher Council of Ulemas, the nation’s body of religious scholars, has rejected calls for equal inheritance and opposed abolishing *taasib*, which obliges female orphans without brothers to share inheritance with distant male relatives. Polygamy remains legal under certain conditions, though proposed reforms would allow women to stipulate in marriage contracts that their husbands cannot take another wife—exceptions for infertility or illness persist. A package of reforms announced in 2024 has yet to become law.
Education and Health Challenges for Girls
Morocco’s High Commission for Planning reported in 2025 that only 55 % of girls aged 15–17 attend school in rural areas, compared with 100 % in urban locales. Barriers include long distances to schools, unsafe transport, poverty, early marriage, and lack of affordable menstrual products.
Verbatim Quote
- “Menstrual health is still treated as a taboo... I would like to see free menstrual products in schools,” — Chifae Laazouzi, BBC
Criticism and Opposition
Street interviews conducted by Chouf TV revealed mixed reactions, with many older men expressing discomfort despite accepting the king’s decision. Criticising the monarchy carries legal risk under Morocco’s penal code, which criminalises insults against the king, the royal family, and the institution of the monarchy.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
El Mansouri has not publicly indicated whether she will pursue the pending family-code reforms, and no official timetable for legislative action has been provided. Consequently, the extent to which the new government will alter inheritance, polygamy, or *taasib* provisions remains uncertain.
What’s Next
The proposed 2024 reform package must still pass parliamentary scrutiny and receive royal assent. Observers note that any substantive change to the Moudawana will require navigating opposition from the Higher Council of Ulemas and reconciling the king’s retained powers with the prime minister’s agenda. The coming months will reveal whether El Mansouri’s tenure translates symbolic progress into concrete policy shifts for Moroccan women.