Morocco has a long history of gender responsive budgeting work with sustained, high-level political will to address gender equality. Since the adoption of a new finance law in January 2014, the needs of women and girls are increasingly being reflected in how governments spend and the gender priorities are integrated throughout the budgeting process.
Ongoing efforts have resulted in GRB being progressively anchored in Morocco’s budget reform process. Experience with results-based and gender-responsive public finance management for more than 10 years in Morocco resulted in the adoption of the new organic law of finance, by the Council of Government, which legally institutionalizes gender equality throughout budget processes. Taking the GRB processes a step forward, the new legislation explicitly mentions that gender equality must be taken into account in the definition of objectives, results and indicators of performance of the line budgets. The new organic law also institutionalizes the Gender Report as an official document that is part of the annual Finance Bill – an important achievement.
Annually, Morocco produces a Gender Report that contains information on the work conducted by each sector disaggregated by gender (where data allows), which has become an important accountability and monitoring tool, advancing implementation of GRB from one year to the next. By 2012, a total of 27 departments joined the report, corresponding to more than 80% of the State's overall budget. The report is successful in requiring reporting from more traditional sectors (for GRB), such as health and education, as well as non-traditional sectors, such as ministries of infrastructure and transport.
The Department of Literacy now conducts budget planning of its programmes based on its “targets” which are largely women, who now constitute 85 per cent of the beneficiaries of such literacy programmes in Morocco. This approach, which began in 2009, has allowed the Department to better adapt to the needs of its beneficiaries. As a result, several different programmes are also being developed according to age (15-24; 25-45 years and 45+), as well as employment status (employee or looking for employment).
Another breakthrough was the inclusion of provisions in favour of gender equality in the country’s new Constitution in July 2011. Article 19 explicitly enshrines gender equality in the enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. The new Constitution also introduces the principle of gender equality in fact through several articles that mention the commitment of governments to work towards the creation of conditions to allow the achievement of gender equality and equal representation of women and men in all areas, and access to decision-making bodies.
The Department of Literacy now conducts budget planning of its programmes based on its “targets” which are largely women, who now constitute 85 per cent of the beneficiaries of such literacy programmes in Morocco.
This approach, which began in 2009, has allowed the Department to better adapt to the needs of its beneficiaries. As a result, several different programmes are also being developed according to age (15-24; 25-45 years and 45+), as well as employment status (employee or looking for employment).
UN Women’s efforts on GRB focus on highlighting best practices and adopting collective approaches, working closely with finance ministries and civil society.
A testimony to Morocco’s commitment to GRB, a gender budget statement or gender report has been drafted annually in the country since 2006 and presented as an annex to the Finance Bill. The report was the result of a partnership between UNIFEM (one of UN Women’s predecessor organizations) and the Government, aimed at incorporating a gender perspective into the national budget reform process. The report reinforces accountability to meet the Government’s commitments on gender equality.
“Morocco is one of the leading countries in the field of gender-responsive budgeting,” said the UN Women Regional Director of the Arab States, Sameera al-Tuwaijiri, hailing the country’s efforts to bridge the gender gap.
Ongoing efforts have resulted in GRB being progressively anchored in Morocco’s budget reform process, with five pilot line ministries applying GRB programming and 27 ministries taking part in the preparation of the gender report. Since 2011, the gender report has also included an analysis from multiple sectors which measures progress made by Morocco towards implementing international human rights standards and obligations.
Other results of advocacy are also evident. Experimentation with results-based and gender-responsive public finance management for more than 10 years in Morocco also resulted in the adoption of a new organic law of finance (akin to a financial Constitution), approved in January 2014 by the Council of Government, which legally institutionalizes gender equality throughout budget processes. Taking the GRB processes a step forward, the new legislation explicitly mentions that gender equality must be taken into account in the definition of objectives, results and indicators of performance of the line budgets. The new organic law also institutionalizes the Gender Report as an official document that is part of the annual Finance Bill – an important achievement.
Another breakthrough was the inclusion of provisions in favour of gender equality in the country’s new Constitution in July 2011. Article 19 explicitly enshrines gender equality in the enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. The new Constitution also introduces the principle of gender equality in fact through several articles that mention the commitment of governments to work towards the creation of conditions to allow the achievement of gender equality and equal representation of women and men in all areas, and access to decision-making bodies.
Following the adoption of Morocco’s new Constitution, in November 2012 UN Women supported meetings such as the high-level conference in Marrakech, which brought together nearly 250 participants from over 30 countries. At the meeting, the UN Resident Coordinator in Morocco, Bruno Pouezat, highlighted the success of the Moroccan experience in GRB and the greater impetus it has within the new Constitution. He also underlined the UN’s support of countries’ efforts to integrate the gender approach in their budgets, considering this to be an essential mechanism to foster the principles of transparency in public policies.
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The Department of Literacy now conducts budget planning of its programmes based on its “targets” which are largely women, who now constitute 85 per cent of the beneficiaries of such literacy programmes in Morocco.
This approach, which began in 2009, has allowed the Department to better adapt to the needs of its beneficiaries. As a result, several different programmes are also being developed according to age (15-24; 25-45 years and 45+), as well as employment status (employee or looking for employment).
UN Women’s efforts on GRB focus on highlighting best practices and adopting collective approaches, working closely with finance ministries and civil society.
A testimony to Morocco’s commitment to GRB, a gender budget statement or gender report has been drafted annually in the country since 2006 and presented as an annex to the Finance Bill. The report was the result of a partnership between UNIFEM (one of UN Women’s predecessor organizations) and the Government, aimed at incorporating a gender perspective into the national budget reform process. The report reinforces accountability to meet the Government’s commitments on gender equality.
“Morocco is one of the leading countries in the field of gender-responsive budgeting,” said the UN Women Regional Director of the Arab States, Sameera al-Tuwaijiri, hailing the country’s efforts to bridge the gender gap.
Ongoing efforts have resulted in GRB being progressively anchored in Morocco’s budget reform process, with five pilot line ministries applying GRB programming and 27 ministries taking part in the preparation of the gender report. Since 2011, the gender report has also included an analysis from multiple sectors which measures progress made by Morocco towards implementing international human rights standards and obligations.
Other results of advocacy are also evident. Experimentation with results-based and gender-responsive public finance management for more than 10 years in Morocco also resulted in the adoption of a new organic law of finance (akin to a financial Constitution), approved in January 2014 by the Council of Government, which legally institutionalizes gender equality throughout budget processes. Taking the GRB processes a step forward, the new legislation explicitly mentions that gender equality must be taken into account in the definition of objectives, results and indicators of performance of the line budgets. The new organic law also institutionalizes the Gender Report as an official document that is part of the annual Finance Bill – an important achievement.
Another breakthrough was the inclusion of provisions in favour of gender equality in the country’s new Constitution in July 2011. Article 19 explicitly enshrines gender equality in the enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. The new Constitution also introduces the principle of gender equality in fact through several articles that mention the commitment of governments to work towards the creation of conditions to allow the achievement of gender equality and equal representation of women and men in all areas, and access to decision-making bodies.
Following the adoption of Morocco’s new Constitution, in November 2012 UN Women supported meetings such as the high-level conference in Marrakech, which brought together nearly 250 participants from over 30 countries. At the meeting, the UN Resident Coordinator in Morocco, Bruno Pouezat, highlighted the success of the Moroccan experience in GRB and the greater impetus it has within the new Constitution. He also underlined the UN’s support of countries’ efforts to integrate the gender approach in their budgets, considering this to be an essential mechanism to foster the principles of transparency in public policies.
Related Items
Search UN Women Stories
The Department of Literacy now conducts budget planning of its programmes based on its “targets” which are largely women, who now constitute 85 per cent of the beneficiaries of such literacy programmes in Morocco.
This approach, which began in 2009, has allowed the Department to better adapt to the needs of its beneficiaries. As a result, several different programmes are also being developed according to age (15-24; 25-45 years and 45+), as well as employment status (employee or looking for employment).
UN Women’s efforts on GRB focus on highlighting best practices and adopting collective approaches, working closely with finance ministries and civil society.
A testimony to Morocco’s commitment to GRB, a gender budget statement or gender report has been drafted annually in the country since 2006 and presented as an annex to the Finance Bill. The report was the result of a partnership between UNIFEM (one of UN Women’s predecessor organizations) and the Government, aimed at incorporating a gender perspective into the national budget reform process. The report reinforces accountability to meet the Government’s commitments on gender equality.
“Morocco is one of the leading countries in the field of gender-responsive budgeting,” said the UN Women Regional Director of the Arab States, Sameera al-Tuwaijiri, hailing the country’s efforts to bridge the gender gap.
Ongoing efforts have resulted in GRB being progressively anchored in Morocco’s budget reform process, with five pilot line ministries applying GRB programming and 27 ministries taking part in the preparation of the gender report. Since 2011, the gender report has also included an analysis from multiple sectors which measures progress made by Morocco towards implementing international human rights standards and obligations.
Other results of advocacy are also evident. Experimentation with results-based and gender-responsive public finance management for more than 10 years in Morocco also resulted in the adoption of a new organic law of finance (akin to a financial Constitution), approved in January 2014 by the Council of Government, which legally institutionalizes gender equality throughout budget processes. Taking the GRB processes a step forward, the new legislation explicitly mentions that gender equality must be taken into account in the definition of objectives, results and indicators of performance of the line budgets. The new organic law also institutionalizes the Gender Report as an official document that is part of the annual Finance Bill – an important achievement.
Another breakthrough was the inclusion of provisions in favour of gender equality in the country’s new Constitution in July 2011. Article 19 explicitly enshrines gender equality in the enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. The new Constitution also introduces the principle of gender equality in fact through several articles that mention the commitment of governments to work towards the creation of conditions to allow the achievement of gender equality and equal representation of women and men in all areas, and access to decision-making bodies.
Following the adoption of Morocco’s new Constitution, in November 2012 UN Women supported meetings such as the high-level conference in Marrakech, which brought together nearly 250 participants from over 30 countries. At the meeting, the UN Resident Coordinator in Morocco, Bruno Pouezat, highlighted the success of the Moroccan experience in GRB and the greater impetus it has within the new Constitution. He also underlined the UN’s support of countries’ efforts to integrate the gender approach in their budgets, considering this to be an essential mechanism to foster the principles of transparency in public policies.
Related Items
Search UN Women Stories