SHARECountry Data
Morocco (Kingdom of Morocco) has a Bicameral parliament with legislated quotas for the single/lower house and at the sub-national level. 96 of 395 (24%) seats in the Majliss-annouwab / House of Representatives are held by women.
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Bicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- For the Single/Lower House? Yes
- For the Upper House? No
- For the Sub-National Level? Yes
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? No
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Jan 19, 2023
Single/Lower House
Majliss-annouwab / House of Representatives
| Total seats | 395 |
| Total Women | 96 |
| % Women | 24% |
| Election Year | 2021 |
| Electoral System | List PR |
| Quota Type | Reserved seats |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution | |
| Electoral law | 305 of the 395 members of the lower house are elected in 92 multi-member constituencies through a proportional representation system. An additional 60 seats are reserved for women, while 30 are reserved for young men and women under the age of 40 (Article 23 (2) of the Organic Law No. 20-16, amending Law No. 27-11). The 60 reserved seats for women are filled by winners elected through a proportional representation system based on nation-wide closed party lists (Article 23 (2) of the Organic Law No. 27-11 on the House of Representatives). This system, first legislated through the 2011 electoral reforms, builds upon the previous ‘honorary agreement’ between the political parties, formed in 2002, which reserved 30 seats for women (see additional information). |
|
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | Electoral law | Lists of candidates that violate the provisions of Article 23, including the quota requirements, shall be rejected (Article 24 (2)). |
| Rank order/placement rules | N/A | Not applicable |
| Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties related to gender equality among candidates? | No | See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
| Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties? | Yes, funds earmarked for gender activities Other | A special government support program was initiated to strengthen women's participation in social and political processes covering political parties and associations as early as 2009. It will be provided, under conditions and terms and conditions set by regulation, support intended to strengthen the representative capacities of women on the occasion of the general elections of councils of local authorities, general legislative elections and elections of members of professional chambers under the name of “Support Fund for the Promotion the Representation of Women”. See more in International IDEA's Political Finance database |
Quota at the Sub-National Level
- Quota type: Reserved seats
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Reserved seats | Constitution | |
| Electoral law | A new law regulating elections at the sub-national level (Law n° 59-11 on the election of council members of local authorities) was adopted in 2011, introducing quota provisions for women. In particular, according to Articles 76 and 77, at least one-third of the seats in regional councils, which are directly elected, must be reserved for women. Furthermore, for elections to the lower district and communal councils, the law provides for additional electoral constituencies reserved for women, who should be elected through a proportional representation system (Article 143 and explanatory note). |
|
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | N/A | Not applicable |
| Rank order/placement rules | N/A | Not applicable |
Additional Information
The electoral threshold for the 92 multi-member constituencies is 6 per cent, while for the one national constituency the threshold is 3 per cent. In 2002 the political parties signed a charter that reserved 30 seats for women in the lower house, elected through a special nation-wide list. The 2007 election followed the same rules. Following the democratic uprising in 2011, the quota regulation was codified in the new electoral law for the 2011 elections, and the number of reserved seats for women was extended to 60 seats, while 30 seats were reserved for young men under the age of 40. In the 2011 elections, only 7 women were elected to a constituency seat, a slight increase from 4 in 2007 and 5 in 2002, when the reserved seats were first introduced. In 2016, the 30 seats previosly reserved for young men opened up to include both men and women under the age of 40.
At the sub-national level, the 2008 reform introduced a 12 per cent quota for the communal elections through the creation of ‘additional electoral constituencies’ in urban and rural communities and districts (Articles 204 (1) and (2) of the electoral code), as well as the creation of a ‘support fund for the promotion of women representativeness’ (Article 288). Although not explicitly mentioned in the electoral law, there was a national consensus that these seats would be reserved for women. As a result of this reform, women’s local representation increased from 0.6 per cent to 12.3 per cent in the 2009 local government elections. In the next local elections, the 2011 law on the election of council members of local authorities, reserving seats for women in regional, communal and district councils, will be applied.
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
-
Loi organique no 20-16 modifiant et complétant la loi organique no 27-11 relative à la Chambre des représentants [Organic Law no. 20-16 amending Organic Law no 27-11]
- Loi organique no 27-11 relative à la Chambre des représentants [Organic Law no. 27-11 on the House of Representatives]
- Loi no 36-08 modifiant et complétant la loi no 9-97 formant code électoral [Law no. 36-08 amending and supplementing Law no. 9-97, the Electoral Code]
- Constitution of Morocco (rev. 2011) (English version)
- Constitution of Morocco (rev. 2011) (French version)
Additional reading
- See the latest updates on Morocco on iKNOW Politics
- Darhour, H. & Dahlerup, D. : Sustainable representation of women through gender quotas: A decade's experience in Morocco. Women's Studies International Forum
- Abdul Aziz, M. (2004). ‘Morocco Experience’, in Al-Mara al-Maghribiya wa al-Barlaman, Cairo: Alliance for Arab Women.
- Hall, E.C. ‘Quotas and Transnational Networks Answering the Challenge of Moroccan Women’s Access to Political Space’, paper presented at the 960 Political Science Seminar, 2003.
- Leicester, J. (2002). ‘Women to Take Seats in Morocco Government’, Associated Press. September 27.
- Afrol News. (June 3, 2001).
Enhancing women's political participation in Morocco. [Last accessed: 2021-11-26] - Charrad, M.M. (2001). States and Women’s Rights: The Making of Postcolonial Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. Berkeley: University of California Press.
- Inter-Parliamentary Union. (March 1, 2001). Women in Politics: Promising Developments in Eastern Europe and the Arab Countries. Press Release no. 130.
- Moroccan Parliament website, http://www.parlement.ma/