Thematic Working Group on Equality and Parity at House of Representatives Holds Talks with Libyan Delegation of Women Parliamentarians on Women Issues
The Thematic Working Group on Equality and Parity at the House of Representatives held talks, on Friday, November 27th, 2020, at the House’s headquarters, with a delegation of women parliamentarians from the Libyan House of Representatives. The visit is part of consolidating the cooperation between the two Houses following the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding between the Moroccan House of Representatives and its Libyan counterpart in July 2020.
The Moroccan side was represented by the members of the thematic working group, chaired for this period by Deputy Fatima Zahra Nazih, while the Libyan side was represented by fifteen parliamentarians from the different political spectra of the Libyan House of Representatives.
During this meeting, the participating deputies were unanimous on “the necessity to promote bilateral parliamentary cooperation, the exchange of visits and the sharing of expertise in various fields, as well as coordination between the two sides, pursuant to the memorandum of understanding concluded a few months ago between the Moroccan House of Representatives and its Libyan counterpart.”
In their statements, the Libyan parliamentarians expressed their “gratitude for the Moroccan invitation, lauding the positive role played by Morocco in resolving the Libyan crisis, as well as its position in defending the unity and stability of Libya.”
The Libyan women parliamentarians showed great interest in the Moroccan experience in the field of women’s rights. The meeting was thus an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the role of the Thematic Working Group on Equality and Parity within the House of Representatives, as well as of the projects to which the group contributed, in addition to its relationship with civil society, and the progress of enshrining parity in Moroccan society.
On the Moroccan side, the Chairperson of the Group Fatima Zahra Nazih presented, in collaboration with the Moroccan deputies, explanations concerning "the vital role of the Thematic Working Group as a joint mechanism for the parliamentary struggle to complete the process of women’s rights in our country.”
The Moroccan deputies noted the evolution of the representation of women within the House of Representatives, which went from only two women parliamentarians in 1993 to 35 women parliamentarians in 2002, then 34 in 2007, then to 67 in 2011, while their number during the current parliamentary session amounts to 82 female deputies, which equals 21% of the deputies.
The Thematic Working Group members highlighted the contribution of their Group to the adoption of the gender budget and bills directly relevant to women, such as the law on fighting violence against women and notes that aim to enable women to access decision-making positions.
The Group members explained that the view of Moroccan society towards women issues had witnessed a forward leap thanks to the Family Code (Moudawana). They also stressed that Moroccan women play a leading role in the economy, contributing to about one-third of Morocco’s GDP.
At the end of the meeting, the participating parliamentarians lauded the positive interaction between the members of both Houses. They also expressed their willingness to discuss the possibility of creating a Union of Women Parliamentarians of the Maghreb in the near future.