Arabic version: أول رئيسة حكومة في المغرب تواجه اختبار الإصلاح

According to BBC News, King Mohammed VI has named Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s first female prime minister, a historic appointment that has renewed debate over women’s leadership and gender equality.

El Mansouri’s Authenticity and Modernity Party won the most seats in September’s parliamentary election and announced a coalition with three other parties holding 207 of parliament’s 395 seats. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy, but executive power remains with the 63-year-old king, while the head of government operates within a system of shared authority.

The appointment has drawn both support and criticism. Mustafa Ramid, a former justice minister in an Islamist-led government, questioned whether a woman should hold the country’s highest political office. Younger Moroccans, particularly women, have welcomed the decision, though conservative religious views continue to influence debates on equality.

Reform of the Moudawana family code is expected to be a key test. Current rules on inheritance generally give daughters half the share received by sons in comparable circumstances, while polygamy remains legal under certain conditions. A package of family-code changes was announced in 2024 but has not yet become law.

Some women also hope El Mansouri will address barriers to girls’ education. Morocco’s High Commission for Planning found that 55% of girls aged 15–17 attended school in rural areas in 2025, compared with 100% in urban areas. El Mansouri, who has served as mayor of Marrakech, a minister and an MP, has not indicated whether she will pursue family-law reforms.