The Ministry of Industry and Commerce is embarking on an ambitious economic transformation based on the new development model. With more than 1,800 projects launched and investments resulting in more than 400,000 jobs, the “Made in Morocco” program strengthens industrial sovereignty. At the same time, bold measures support women’s empowerment, aiming to achieve a female labor force participation rate of 45% by 2035.
The new development model is broken down into four strategic transformation axes. In this sense, the ministry’s intervention focuses specifically on the first two axes, namely “Productive and diversified economy, creator of added value and quality jobs” and “Opportunities for inclusion for all and strengthening of social ties », Explained Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Commerce, in his response to a written question sent by the parliamentary group of the Popular Movement (MP) to the House of Representatives.
Regarding the strategic orientations of the first axis, which fall within the area of action of the ministry, the objective is to direct economic actors towards truly productive activities, he specified. As for the second axis, it emphasizes women’s empowerment, gender equality and inclusive participation, in particular by removing social obstacles limiting women’s participation and supporting education, training, integration and support dedicated to them.
In this perspective, since the start of the current legislature, the ministry has worked to implement the recommendations of this new development model. It thus strengthened the industrial sovereignty and competitiveness of the “Made in Morocco” brand through the implementation of the ambitious “Made in Morocco” program. The latter, continued Mezzour, aims to diversify the national economy and improve local production to generate an increased number of stable jobs in the industrial sector. In this context, and thanks to the project bank, 1,857 new investment projects were initiated, representing a cumulative investment of 118.1 billion dirhams. This program should lead to the creation of approximately 448,793 direct and indirect jobs.
Furthermore, the official noted that the strategies developed and implemented by the ministry over recent years have truly redefined the industrial sector as a major source of job creation. Since the start of the current legislature and until the end of July, this sector recorded the creation of 374,193 gross jobs and 125,555 net jobs, according to data from the National Social Security Fund.
As part of its commitment to women’s empowerment and gender equality, the ministry strives to integrate a gender perspective into all its strategies and programs, he added. . This initiative aims to strengthen the economic empowerment of women and eliminate legal obstacles hindering their economic participation, in order to achieve the ambitious objectives of the new development model which projects a female activity rate of 45% by 2035. .
On the legislative level, he indicated that the Promulgation of Law No. 20-19 established mandatory quotas to ensure increased diversity on the boards of directors of public limited companies. From January 2024, these companies will have to include at least 30% women in their management and control bodies, with an ambition of 40% by 2027.
The government plan for equality for 2023-2026, aiming to make increasing the female activity rate to 30% is a crucial vector for implementing the recommendations of the new development model. In this context, the ministry is deploying a work program including a series of measures intended to strengthen employment and entrepreneurship, to support women in rural areas and in vulnerable situations, and to create a sustainable and favorable environment for them. , said Mezzour.
Among these measures are the launch of communication and awareness campaigns dedicated to young girls and women, encouraging them to move towards industrial careers, the fight against stereotypes, and the improvement of gender-related social performance in industrial areas. This also includes improving their safety at work, encouraging their membership of chambers of commerce and industry to access local support, as well as a program to support low-income women in the commercial sector to digitize their activities and increase their income.
To stimulate female entrepreneurship, the ministry signed an agreement with the Association of Women Business Leaders of Morocco to launch the “She Industriel” program, Mezzour said. This program aims to encourage women to start their own businesses in various industrial sectors, equipping them with comprehensive support to successfully complete their investment projects. It aims to support more than 2,200 women in less than two years, to promote their proactive integration into industrial entrepreneurship.
In addition, the ministry entered into a partnership with the National Union of Women of Morocco and other stakeholders for the implementation of the “Douar Tamkine” project. This pilot project is committed to the economic and social empowerment of women and girls in rural areas, through the creation of innovative training and skills development spaces to facilitate their access to the labor market and develop their capacities of leadership. It also aims to support their financial independence by promoting the creation of small businesses, engagement in cooperatives and the launch of income-generating activities.
