Address of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, at Opening of the Interactive Meeting on “Consolidating Women’s Leadership”

Your Excellency, Ms. Nell Stewart, Ambassador of Canada to the Kingdom of Morocco,

Your Excellency, Mr. Simon Martin, Ambassador of the United Kingdom,

Honorable colleagues, members of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Honorable Anthony Smith, Chief Executive of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy,

Honorable colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am extremely pleased to open the proceedings of this interactive meeting, organized by the House of Representatives in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), on a prominent and timely question in the context of the institutional and social reforms that our country is carrying out with audacity, purpose, and determination, but on the basis of progression and building on accumulation, namely the “elements of consolidating women's leadership.”

First of all, I would like to commend the peculiarity of this year's commemoration by the House of Representatives of International Women's Day, which lies:

- First, in the organization of this meeting through which we reflect together and seek ways, mechanisms, and elements for consolidating women's leadership, both in society and in institutions, particularly elected representative institutions,

- Second, in its commemoration jointly with countries with whom we share high human values and interests, and with whom we indeed share the concern for constructing the future.

It is the case of the United Kingdom, with the participation of its Ambassador who is present with us, H.E. Simon Martin, and with whom we celebrated two years ago the 800^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties; Canada, a country with whom we are celebrating this year the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, with the participation of its Ambassador, H.E. Nell Stewart, who is accompanying us on the commemoration of this world day; as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the participation of a delegation from its National Assembly, a country with which we share authentic African belonging and policies of advocacy for Africa and its development.

I do not have to list the aspects of friendship, cooperation and exchanges between Morocco and these friendly countries, which transcend material interests to values, namely the values of democracy, pluralism, belief in the right to difference, freedom, human rights, tolerance, and openness, as well as the rejection of extremism and intolerance, and the defense of international peace and justice, in a context where humanity needs this model of relations and the preservation of these universal values.

It is at the heart of these values, ladies and gentlemen, that reside women's rights and the mechanisms that guarantee their economic and social empowerment, facilitate their access to public political and institutional decision-making positions, and to positions of responsibility within private enterprises, in order to enshrine equity and achieve parity and equality, which are based, primarily, on the establishment of a culture that believes and supports such principles, and opposes gender discrimination, and on redressing existing social misperceptions in dealing with women's rights and their status in societies.

To this end, our country has adopted bold reforms to guarantee women’s rights and facilitate equity. After the Family Code, adopted by the Parliament in 2004, which is considered a bold legislative reform in our regional environment, and after the adoption of the national list of legislative elections since 2002, our country has accumulated essential reforms, which have led to the adoption of the Constitution, ratified by the Moroccan people in 2011, which establishes that “men and women enjoy, on an equal basis, civil, political, economic, social, cultural and human rights and freedoms,” and that “the State shall work for the achievement of parity between them and the establishment of an Authority for Parity and the Fight against all Forms of Discrimination.” (Article 19 of the Constitution of the Kingdom)

In parallel with the public policies currently being implemented for women, important legal texts have been enacted in combating discrimination and the prevention and deterrence of violence against women, while women's rights are also included in other fundamental laws.

At the political and institutional levels, and while we are proud in Morocco of the participation of women in elections since the first elections held in our country, both as voters and candidates, the increasing presence of women in elected institutions, insofar as it is comforting, also calls on our collective intelligence to achieve parity in the foreseeable future. In this respect, the number of women members of the House of Representatives has increased from two women in the 1993-1997 legislative term to 95 women in the current term, which equals 24.3%, while they form 26.64% of the members of territorial collectivities.

As I am honored to work closely with four women members of the Board of the House of Representatives (representing 30.7%), I salute the generosity, dedication, and presence of all women members of the House, and I greatly appreciate their institutional and political performance and perseverance with regard to control, legislation, evaluation, and parliamentary diplomacy, taking into account that all women members of the House have very high academic levels and scientific qualifications, which is a source of pride.

Hence, I would like to extend my sincere salutations and esteem to all women parliamentary colleagues, women officers of the House, and, through them, to all Moroccan women.

Ladies and gentlemen,

What has been achieved in terms of consolidating women's rights and their access to political and institutional decision-making positions would not have been possible without the High solicitude of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for the cause of women and their empowerment, and without His Majesty's will and determination to place women at the center of all general and public policies and to bring them justice.

This Royal will converges with the diligent mobilization of national political parties and large groups of civil society organizations and social actors for the same purposes.

While achieving equality is not impossible, it, though, requires, in addition to political will and an emancipated vision, endeavor and empowerment of girls, being the future women, in terms of education, culture, and training as a means of social promotion, independence in thought and decision-making, and openness. It also requires liberating societal culture from masculine tendencies against women’s rights and internalizing the values of equality.

On the other hand, this objective requires the application of parity within political bodies to establish the pedagogy of exemplarity and take into account their roles in the orientation of citizens and participation in the management of public affairs.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The integration of women in development is not a choice, but rather an obligation since the obstruction of a broad stratum of society cannot be accepted. To overcome this obstacle, the vision of the New Development Model has placed women at the center of this model agreed upon by the components of the nation.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, we must highlight the successful examples of Moroccan women at the head of constitutional institutions and governance bodies, as managers of private enterprises, parliamentarians, ministers, ambassadors, managers of strategic public enterprises, but also as soldiers and officers who contribute to the protection of the borders of our homeland, and police officers who ensure the security of society, leaders of the social and solidarity economy, farmers in deep Morocco, creative artists and workers who strive to promote the trademark of Morocco, judges, teachers, educators of generations, doctors, nurses, and civil servants. These form Morocco's bright side in the area of women's equality and empowerment, and we should be proud of them.

From your position as elected legislators, you are expected to improve women's conditions and to enact laws and policies that facilitate equality. Therefore, there is no doubt that this interactive meeting will break down the barriers of partisan belonging between you to work through a different approach on the issue of women, knowing that the Thematic Group on Equality and Parity, provided for in the Rules of Procedure of the House, constitutes a framework to support and strengthen the achievements of women in various fields.

There is no doubt that such interactive meetings, which allow you to learn more about international comparative practices, will also enable you to make known Moroccan achievements regarding women. At last, I want to thank our international partners, including the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, our Canadian partners, and the two expert professors.

I wish your meeting every success and thank you for your attention.