Sourced fact
The News
Fatima-Zahra Alaoui Almnsoori has become Morocco's first female prime minister, following her party, the centrist "Movement and Modernity and Authenticity" (PAM), winning the largest number of seats in the latest parliamentary elections. According to BBC News, King Mohammed VI appointed Almnsoori over Fouzi Lekjaâ, president of the Moroccan Football Federation. Almnsoori, aged 50, has been the mayor of Marrakesh for many years and previously held a ministerial position in the government.
During a press conference before her appointment, Almnsoori avoided directly answering a question about whether religious prayer rituals would be altered to accommodate her. She stated that the king is "the greatest champion of women in the country." Almnsoori, who graduated from the Faculty of Law at Mohammed V University in Rabat, continued her education in France and the United States specializing in commercial law and corporations.
Throughout her political career, Almnsoori has rarely spoken publicly about women's rights or gender inequality, despite ongoing discussions in Morocco about issues such as banning polygamy and equal inheritance rights between men and women. Under the Moroccan constitution, the king appoints the prime minister from the party that wins the elections.
With only 97 seats, Almnsoori's party needs to form a coalition to reach the absolute majority of 198 seats in the 395-seat parliament. However, the party appears to have lost its previous government partner, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), while the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) returned with 54 seats after having only 13 in the previous election. According to BBC News, the leader of the party, Abdelilah Benkirane, announced that his party would not participate in the new government.
Analysis & context
Analysis & Context
Analytically, the appointment of Fatima-Zahra Alaoui as Morocco's first female prime minister represents a significant step in the area of women's rights in the Arab region. This appointment follows the appointment of Najla Bouden as the first female prime minister in Tunisia, signaling a slow but steady progress in improving women's representation in leadership positions in the Arab world.
In a broader context, this appointment reflects the ongoing challenges women face in achieving leadership positions in the Arab world, where most Arab countries still lack strong female representation in government and politics.
It is worth noting that, despite being a constitutional monarchy, Morocco retains significant authority with the king. This means that Almnsoori's appointment also reflects the king's capacity to support social and political changes in the country.
