CGEM, IFC Launch Platform to Promote Employability of Women in Morocco

The General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, launched last Wednesday a common platform aimed at encouraging companies to promote more employability and professional development of women in companies.

Through a series of meetings addressing various aspects relating to the employment of women, the CGEM-IFC platform intends to bring out a group of “champion” employers in Morocco. Their common credo: to highlight the advantages of gender diversity within companies and to suggest concrete avenues promoting the employment of women in the private sector, according to a joint release.

In Morocco, the gender gap in the labor market is still significant. Indeed, if 70% of men occupy positions in the formal sector, the participation rate of women has, for its part, steadily decreased in recent years. Thus, today, only 21% of women hold formal jobs against 26% in 2004, according to modeled ILO estimates.

“The private sector plays a crucial role in women’s access to better employment opportunities. Despite the advances made globally, the issue of parity and equal opportunities remains a topical issue. “, said Saadia Slaoui Bennani, President of the Responsible Enterprise and Citizen Commission of the CGEM.

“It has been demonstrated that women’s participation in the labor market and in income-generating activities has a positive impact, in terms of human development, on society as a whole. Thus, gender equality is not only a social issue but also a real economic and development issue for a more sustainable, egalitarian and inclusive society,” she added.

For his part, IFC Director in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, Xavier Reille underlined that 42% of university students are women, and yet only half of them are officially active. “This loss of female talent in the labor market has a negative impact on the performance of Moroccan companies,” he said.

“As Moroccan companies adjust their activities to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, the promotion of female talents in the company is a stimulus lever for sustainable and equitable growth. IFC’s tools such as diagnosis EDGE or platforms for the exchange of experiences between companies can accelerate this movement,” Reille explained.

CGEM and IFC are long-standing partners, collaborating on a wide range of areas to strengthen private sector development in Morocco. Their latest partnership is part of IFC’s Women’s Employment Program, a three-year initiative aimed at increasing women’s participation in the workforce. This program is implemented in partnership with the government of the Netherlands.