Over the past year, the unemployment rate among women rose sharply by 1.1 percentage points, reaching 20.5% in 2025. These figures from the HCP are particularly alarming, as they confirm a sustained and unprecedented upward trend, despite numerous public initiatives launched over the years to curb it. DR ‹ › While Morocco's unemployment rate stood at 13% in 2025, marking a slight annual decline of 0.3 percentage points, the situation for women remains particularly worrying. According to an information note released by the High Commission for Planning (HCP) on the annual labor market situation, unemployment among women increased by 1.1 percentage points, reaching 20.5%, compared with a 0.8-point decline among men, whose unemployment rate fell to 10.8%. Overall, 1.62 million people are unemployed nationwide. These figures reflect a longer-term erosion of women's integration into the labor market. Previous HCP data show that female unemployment has been on the rise, particularly since 2020 and the onset of the health crisis, climbing to 16.2%, compared with 9.6% in 2010. At the same time, women's labor force participation has steadily declined: the activity rate for women and girls aged 15 and over dropped from 28% in 2000 to 25.9% in 2010, before falling sharply to 19.9% in 2020. Recent data confirm this regressive trend, even as increasing numbers of women gain access to education and higher qualifications. Better integration of women into employment could have a significant impact on Morocco's GDP, particularly if accompanied by a stronger territorial approach targeting rural areas. According to HCP estimates for 2025, the economic loss linked to women's exclusion from rural employment alone amounts to nearly 2.2% of GDP, in a context where female economic inactivity exceeds 80% at the national level. Contacted by Yabiladi, union official Asmae Mrani denounced what she described as a «blatant delay», made all the more concerning, she said, «when these official figures come from a statistical institution that applies international standards». A gap between work and family responsibilities General secretary of the Progressive Union of Moroccan Women (UPFM) within the Moroccan Labor Union (UTM), Mrani argues that the issue has deep structural roots. «We must acknowledge that the main factor explaining this delay, over years and even decades, is cultural», she said. «Stereotypical perceptions remain deeply ingrained. Despite progress, women are still associated with roles assigned to them not on the basis of competence, but because of their condition as women, which makes them vulnerable». As a result, she explained, even when women enter the labor market, «the positions assigned to them do not reflect their skills, which undermines their economic advancement, as clearly seen in sectors such as industry». She cited official figures showing that 44% of industrial workers are women, but stressed that 64% of them are concentrated in the textile sector, often under precarious conditions, a situation she says is also reflected in the automotive industry. Mrani also highlighted the high unemployment rate among women aged 25 to 38, an age group she considers crucial. «This is a phase when women are more likely to have children or face increased family responsibilities», she said, noting that labor market constraints often leave them with little choice but to return to traditional roles. She further pointed to the lack of childcare and educational alternatives, which forces many women to make difficult decisions. «Reintegrating into the labor market then becomes much harder. We lose not only workers, but also skills built up over many years». Beyond sectoral responses Beyond statistics, Mrani calls for a broader assessment of public policies and their real impact on women's employment. She advocates an empowerment-based approach that recognizes the contribution of «essential but invisible» workers, notably by combating economic and gender-based violence, including workplace harassment. She stressed that such violence remains a major obstacle, citing its prevalence among agricultural workers and in outsourcing services. «The government has committed to a 30% female employability rate, but these forms of violence directly undermine empowerment», she said. Mrani also recalled the relevance of International Labour Organization Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment in the workplace, adopted in 2019, urging Morocco to fully align its policies with the treaty. «Even in the public sector, prevailing attitudes continue to deprive qualified women of positions they deserve», she added. For her, the issue requires a comprehensive, cross-cutting approach, involving all stakeholders and going beyond sector-specific or short-term government programs, with effective mechanisms to support women's lasting integration into the labor market.
