Gender Equality: A Key Driver of Economic Performance – The Case of Morocco

Abstract

As a social phenomenon, inequalities continue to deepen within developing countries, reinforcing unjust relations of domination between social groups or classes. Women, as a social category, are often subject to multiple forms of discrimination that exacerbate these inequalities. Moroccan women are no exception to this reality. Despite notable progress made in Morocco regarding gender equality, significant challenges remain, particularly in the economic and domestic spheres. Moroccan women’s access to paid employment opportunities remains limited, hindering their empowerment and depriving the country of potential gains in economic growth and human development.

This study aims to estimate the potential gains in Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDP per capita) that could be achieved in Morocco in the medium term if gender equality in employment is attained. The expected results may serve as a compelling argument to encourage public authorities to strengthen policies promoting gender equality.

The study is based on a model developed by the World Bank, which measures the gender gap in employment through two versions of an index: a basic version and a comprehensive version. The latter incorporates the human capital required for improved productivity based on job complexity. The originality of this study lies in the fact that, for the first time in Morocco, the comprehensive version of the index has been calculated—something that had not been done for the country. The data used are entirely drawn from reports by the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the Moroccan institution responsible for producing and publishing official statistical data.

The results indicate that if gender equality were achieved within a generation, a potential gain of more than 50 GDP points per capita could be generated. Achieving this objective depends on the political will to integrate gender equality into action programs, as well as the ability to mobilize civil society to ensure its effective implementation.

Classification JEL: J16

Paper type: Research paper