Women’s rights NGO warns traditional family model no longer reflects Moroccan reality

A leading Moroccan women’s rights organization is calling on policymakers to abandon what it describes as a single “ideal” family model, arguing that household structures in the country have become increasingly diverse and complex.

The Democratic Association of Moroccan Women said public policy must adapt to reflect the evolving realities of families across Morocco, following new findings from the High Commission for Planning.

The national survey shows that the traditional extended family is no longer the dominant household structure. Instead, nuclear families, smaller households and single-parent homes are becoming more common.

The report also highlights broader social changes, including urbanization, economic pressure and shifting lifestyles, all of which are reshaping how families function and support one another.

While the family remains a central source of emotional and financial support, the findings suggest that this safety net is increasingly strained.

The women’s group warned that these shifts place a growing burden on women, particularly in relation to unpaid care work such as childcare and elder care.

It said women who are primary earners, especially single mothers, face heightened risks of poverty and social vulnerability, often without sufficient institutional support.

The organization called for public policies that recognize the diversity of modern family structures and guarantee equal access to social and legal rights regardless of household type.

It also urged policymakers to place gender equality at the center of reforms to Morocco’s family code.

The group further argued that reliance on family networks as the primary social safety net is becoming less sustainable, given economic pressures and shrinking household sizes.

Instead, it called for stronger state-backed social protection systems to ensure more consistent and equitable support for families.

The survey findings reinforce those concerns, recommending expanded public social protection mechanisms to reduce overdependence on informal family support systems.