Women’s Representation in Moroccan Business
In a revealing report published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, it has come to light that women led a mere 15.6% of companies in Morocco in 2024. This statistic emerges from the documents accompanying the 2027 Finance Bill and underscores the significant underrepresentation of women in the business sector. Out of a total of 388,446 companies operating in the country, only 60,363 were under female leadership. The report indicates that only 12.3% of these companies feature at least one woman owner, a stark contrast to the 40.3% observed in the OECD countries and 30.1% across sub-Saharan Africa. The figures are somewhat aligned with those in other Arab nations, where the prevalence of female ownership is recorded at 13.6%, and Turkey, with 15.8%.
Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs
The report further explores the sectors where women exhibit the most presence, with notable representation in the services industry. In health and social work, women manage 43.1% of businesses, while in education, this figure stands at 30.2%. Other service sectors see a female presence of 45%, contrasting sharply with the 24% representation in financial, scientific, and technical fields. Interestingly, women show a stronger presence in newer enterprises; they lead 17.8% of companies established within the last two years and 16.6% of those aged between two and five years. In stark contrast, only 12.7% of businesses operating for over a decade are led by women.
Despite these figures, access to finance remains a formidable barrier for female entrepreneurs, with women-led businesses receiving a mere 10.8% of total lending. This limitation significantly hampers their capacity to grow and expand their operations. Moreover, women are contending with challenges in the labor market itself. The participation rate of women in the workforce has plummeted from 30.4% in 1999 to just 19% in 2025. In a troubling trend, female unemployment has surged from 12.8% in 2000 to 20.5% in 2025. Education levels also play a critical role; by 2025, 45.4% of women with higher education were participating in the labor force, compared to only 14.4% of those without any qualifications. The report also highlights a concerning decline in the participation of rural women in the labor market, dropping from 36.9% in 2014 to 18.2% in 2025, while urban female participation saw a slight increase from 17.8% to 19.4%.
As reported by en.hespress.com.
