Moroccan support for women’s political quotas falls from 71% to 51%, survey finds

Moroccans are becoming less likely to support traditional views about men’s and women’s roles, but that shift has not translated into stronger backing for political quotas for women, according to a new Arab Barometer report.

The Arab Barometer survey found that 47% of Moroccans agreed that men make better political leaders than women, down 10 percentage points from 2023-24. Men and women were equally likely to hold that view.

The decline was even sharper when respondents were asked about decision-making at home. The share who said men should have the final say in family decisions fell to 44%, down 17 points from the previous survey.

Support for equal opportunities at work, however, remained unchanged at 64%.

The figures point to a mixed picture on women’s political representation. While traditional attitudes have weakened, support for measures designed to increase the number of women in politics has fallen.

Support for reserving a minimum number of parliamentary seats for women dropped from 71% to 51%. Backing for quotas for women in the Cabinet also fell, from 70% to 52%.

The survey also asked Moroccans what makes it harder for women to enter the workforce. No single obstacle dominated.

Social disapproval and a lack of child care services were each cited by 13% of respondents. Another 12% pointed to inflexible working hours, while the same share cited discrimination against women in hiring.

Women were more likely to identify child care and a lack of available jobs as barriers, while men more often pointed to inflexible working hours and social attitudes.

Lower wages and weak legal protections were each cited by 9%, while 8% identified transportation problems as an obstacle.

The survey also found mixed perceptions of violence against women. 42% said levels of violence had not changed, while 31% believed they had declined and 16% said they had increased.

For women facing abuse, respondents most often identified family members and police as potential sources of help.

48% said a woman could turn to a male relative, compared with 38% who identified a female relative. 35% named local police.

Hospitals or clinics were cited by 14%, while only 6% pointed to local organizations.

Harassment also remains widely perceived as a problem. 71% said harassment by strangers in the street was widespread, although that figure was down eight points from the previous survey. 58% said harassment was widespread in workplaces, down seven points, while 36% said it occurred widely inside homes.

The Arab Barometer survey was conducted face to face with 1,210 Moroccan citizens across all 12 regions from Aug. 23 to Sept. 6, 2025. The nationally representative survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.