Morocco: Women in Parliament seek to change public image

The last elections in Morocco swept 34 women from six political parties into Parliament. The new legislators now plan to work together, regardless of party differences, to advance women's issues and prove they can perform as well as the male MPs.

National elections last October in Morocco brought 34 women to the first chamber of Parliament, but while the female MPs have proven effective legislators, their task has not been easy. Along with their work responsibilities, they must battle stereotypes which consider women to be weak politicians.

"Although it is still low, the number of women elected could still be quite a force to be reckoned with. What matters is discourse, the quality of their contributions to the debating chamber and their ability to convince," says Fatiha Lyadi, the only independent candidate elected last fall. She is now Information Director at the Ministry of Communications.

Bassima Hakkaoui, an MP for the Justice and Development Party, agreed it is time to destroy the negative clichés. "Women are just as competent as men. I think we should judge their performance by their presence in Parliament, their effectiveness and their perseverance," she said.

In fact, this new wave of elected women is "young and knowledgeable", and made up of many successful administrators, according to Moustafa Zaari, a journalist for the Arab-language daily Assabah. "This is a good thing for the country," he told Magharebia.

Female politicians recognise they have a long way to go before they can reach their objectives. Since the start of the current legislative year in October 2007, no women have been chosen to chair parliamentary committees. In the previous parliament, by contrast, two women were appointed; one to head the foreign affairs committee and the other to oversee the social sectors committee. In the current Parliament, only one woman has been awarded significant responsibility.

That female legislator is Latifa Bennani Smires, who, after securing an appointment to head up the Istiqlal party’s parliamentary group, has effectively demonstrated her political skills. To achieve more, however, she said that women serving in the Moroccan Parliament need to work together.

Political relations professor Mohamed Katiri also feels that women in the legislature would do well to pursue greater co-ordination in order to stamp their presence on the institution. "In the last Parliament, very few women MPs were known through their actions. During this one, women must join ranks to prove what they are capable of doing. This is how women will win the confidence of the voters," he said.

The 34 women MPs come from six political parties belonging both to the majority and opposition. Despite this diversity, they expect to pull together in the "Women in Parliament Forum". The group was set up in 2005 but its powers were limited. Now, however, the more experienced women parliamentarians and the new arrivals hope to identify common objectives to help women and recognise the principles of democracy.

The revitalised forum aims to highlight the work of women in parliament, to strengthen their presence and representation in the centres of decision-making, and to use legislative mechanisms to promote women's issues.

When it comes to politics and comparisons to male legislators, Hakkaoui said with conviction that women are up to the challenge.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat