The Head of Government chairs the first meeting of the National Committee for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

• Adoption of the strategic framework of the Government Plan for Equality 2023-2026, which includes the Women's Economic Empowerment Program.
• Adoption of procedures and measures related to its first women's economic empowerment program to increase women's labor force participation by 2026. 

The Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch chaired, Friday, March 17, 2023, in Rabat, the first meeting of the National Committee for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, devoted to the presentation and approval of the strategic framework of the government's equality plan 2023-2026, which includes the Women's Economic Empowerment Program. At the beginning of the meeting, The Head of Government recalled the royal speech on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the glorious Throne Day, explaining that it had given a new boost of enthusiasm, stressing the need to advance the status of women, enable them to fully enjoy their rights and access all areas of development,  and revising the Family Code and activating constitutional institutions concerned with the family and women's rights. The Head of Government stressed that the government, which is working hard to implement the High Royal Directives, is determined to continue working to promote gender equality and empower women with political, social, and economic rights, in line with the content of the Kingdom's Constitution and the results of the new development model,  and government program commitments. The Head of Government also stressed that, in order to accelerate the implementation of measures to improve the status of women, the Government had established the National Commission for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women as a mechanism to ensure the convergence of relevant public strategies and policies and to strengthen effective coordination between the various government sectors concerned. During the meeting, the committee discussed and adopted the strategic framework of the Government's Plan for Equality, which was developed by all government sectors, as well as the recommendations of civil society and actors related to the issue of women. This strategic framework has three main axes: 
First, women's empowerment and entrepreneurship, identifying practical measures to increase their participation rate by 2026. 
Secondly, the prevention and protection of women and the fight against violence against them. 
Thirdly, the promotion of values to combat stereotypes, promote women's rights, and combat all forms of discrimination. 
Mr. Aziz Akhannouch called on all relevant ministerial sectors to hold recent consultations to include the measures of the first program on "economic empowerment and entrepreneurship" for each sector, in their programming budgets for the year 2024, and to firmly engage in the process of developing the third government plan for equality and commit to implementing its procedures with indicators of the effectiveness of its implementation. It is worth mentioning that this first meeting, during which the Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family,  Ms. Aawatif Hayar, presented the strategic framework of the Government's third plan for equality as well as its first program on "Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship", brought together the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Economy and Finance,  the Minister of Equipment and Water, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, and the Minister of Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of the Budget, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Expatriates, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, and the Ministry Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of investment, convergence and evaluation of public policies, on behalf of the Office of the High Commissioner for Planning and on behalf of the Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights, in addition to the ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Association of Moroccan Regions, the President of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Community Councils, the President of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Prefectural and Regional Councils, the Vice-President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises, the President of the Union of Women's Action, the President of the "Joussour" Association of the Moroccan Women's Forum and the President of the Association of women entrepreneurs in Morocco.