Decentralization and Women’s Political Inclusion in Morocco

• In Event: Power and Promotion: Local Governance in the MENA

Abstract

What explains variations in female political representation in Morocco’s local elections? How, and under what conditions, do women succeed in winning competitive seats (i.e., seats not mandated by the quota system in place)? What is the role of the political parties in this process? This paper aims to offer one of the first systematic analyses on female candidates’ success on the subnational level in Morocco. While former studies have emphasized the importance of women’s political representation on the local level as an important first step for increased levels of representation in higher echelons of power and for improving service provision for women and other marginalized groups, no research has shown how women access these positions and the effect of parties’ strategies on women’s inclusion in MENA’s sub-national politics. The findings of this analysis will inform our understanding on broader questions of representation, local governance, and gender equality in Morocco and the MENA region.

Author

• Marwa Shalaby, University of Wisconsin-Madison