Morocco's first female prime minister finds herself between the king, clerics and women's rights advocates
King Mohammed VI of Morocco has named Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as head of government, the first woman in the role. The move has drawn conservative criticism as well as hopes for family law reform.
In the North African country of Morocco, King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as the first female prime minister. The decision has sparked debate over women's place in politics and whether the new head of government will influence reform of family law.
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy, but executive power in practice remains with the 63-year-old king. El Mansouri's Authenticity and Modernity Party won the most seats in September's parliamentary election and has formed a coalition with three other parties; together they hold 207 of 395 seats. Official turnout was 38% of registered voters.
Criticism and support
Mustafa Ramid, a former justice minister in an Islamist-led government, published a lengthy Facebook post questioning whether a woman should hold the highest political office. Satirical videos also spread online. Many younger Moroccans, especially women, welcomed the appointment. Criticising the monarchy can carry legal risks, as the penal code criminalises certain insults against the king.
The family code
The sharpest disputes over gender equality concern family law: inheritance, marriage and divorce. A daughter typically receives half of a son's share. The Higher Council of Ulemas, the country's body of religious scholars, resists equal inheritance. Polygamy remains legal under certain conditions. A package of changes to the Moudawana, the family code, was announced in 2024 but has not become law. El Mansouri has not said whether she will try to push it through, and she has made no prominent statements on women's rights before.
Background and assessments
El Mansouri has spent more than two decades in public life, serving as mayor of Marrakech, holding government posts and sitting in parliament. For the past five years she headed the ministry for national territory planning, urban planning, housing and city policy. Dr Irene Fernandez-Molina of the University of Exeter describes the appointment as an example of "authoritarian state feminism". Women's rights advocate Yasmina Benslimane calls it the breaking of a ceiling, but stresses that El Mansouri's privileged background also matters.
