Women in Moroccan politics: inside the ADFM barometer

This update focuses on ADFM women political participation. A new study by the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women (ADFM) delivers a sharp assessment of women’s political participation in Morocco, showing that more women on electoral lists does not automatically mean real influence or fair access to elected office.

ADFM women political participation barometer: beyond the numbers

The “Barometer of Women’s Political Representation”, produced by ADFM, examines the internal practices of twelve Moroccan political parties. Fifteen indicators cover the full path of female candidates: nomination procedures, access to resources, support and training, media and political visibility, and mechanisms to prevent political violence.

According to the preliminary findings, the numerical increase in female candidates has not yet translated into effective political participation or equal access to responsibilities. For Moroccans living abroad who closely follow institutional life back home, the ADFM women political participation barometer helps look past official speeches and measure how parties actually work.

Lack of transparency and opaque financial support

One of the barometer’s strongest messages is the lack of transparency within parties. Almost half of the formations studied do not provide enough information to clearly assess how women candidates are selected in regional constituencies.

The problem is even more acute when it comes to funding. For the vast majority of parties analysed, no usable data is available on the financial support mechanisms granted to female candidates. This opacity makes it impossible to assess the real conditions of electoral competition and to measure the impact of internal equality policies.

For Moroccan expatriates considering a return and a local engagement — inside parties or through associations — this means that key rules of the game often remain informal, especially regarding money and nominations.

Party commitment to equality remains fragile

The barometer also evaluates how committed parties are to empowering women politically. The results are mixed: a majority of formations score low when it comes to building and valuing women’s candidacy experience over time.

The same pattern appears when looking at how parties integrate women’s political promotion into their internal strategies. A small minority reaches a satisfactory level, while around half remain at a low level and roughly a third at an intermediate stage.

Positions on electoral reform and on the explicit inclusion of equality and parity principles also appear weak. Many of the parties observed rank in the lower part of the scale, and only a small group shows a high degree of commitment.

Nominations and candidate pathways under scrutiny

Nomination procedures emerge as a central issue in the ADFM analysis. Some parties reach a good level of transparency in how they choose female candidates at regional level, but this is far from the general rule.

The ADFM women political participation barometer stresses the need for clear and robust mechanisms to:

• define and publish nomination criteria for women candidates;
• ensure fair access to campaign resources;
• offer training and long-term support structures;
• prevent violence and political pressure targeting women.

For Moroccans abroad, these findings provide a snapshot of where Morocco stands on women’s political representation, at a time when many are considering returning, investing or becoming more involved in public life. A more open and predictable political arena would send a strong signal to those who want to contribute, directly or by supporting female candidates, to the country’s institutions.

Until concrete reforms are implemented, this barometer puts party leaderships under pressure to move from discourse on equality to measurable change.

For more context, readers can follow Canal212 news for Moroccans abroad.

For official updates, readers can check the relevant official source.