50 Years of Female Contribution
31 March 2009
Read by 1897 persons
Looking back at the history of Moroccan women's involvement in public and private management systems in Morocco.
Dossier by Fady Seddiki
We do not intend to stir up machismo between men and women at work or to caricature the image of women in Moroccan companies. The aim of this article is simply to assess the position of women in our management system. We will once again attempt to answer questions that remain and will always remain relevant, such as the place of women in the top management of Moroccan companies, the problems they encounter at work, or the list of the most influential women in private and public management in Morocco. The novelty of this article undoubtedly lies in the first study conducted jointly by Essor and the human resources consulting firm Invest RH. A survey that reveals, through figures, the importance of women's role in managing businesses and public services.
The origins of Moroccan women's work
Before reaching these stages of analysis, a brief historical reference is necessary, if only to take a look back at the beginnings of Moroccan women in the workplace, first in the public service, then in Moroccan companies. "If women have managed to enter the workplace, it is mainly thanks to the monarchy," immediately specifies Jamal Belahrach, general manager of Manpower. And history amply proves him right. In the aftermath of independence, in a social system where male dominance was total, the late King Mohammed V decided to grant women the right to access public office, commonly called "Al Wadhif" at the time. At a time when access to civil servant status was both open and coveted by a society full of hope after newly acquired freedom, tens of thousands of Moroccan women abandoned their status as housewives to go to work or school. Given the shortage of qualified personnel at the time, training requirements were minimal. With a primary school certificate, positions as teachers, nurses, and secretaries in public administration and courts were open to all women in the 1960s. The eligibility threshold was raised to the brevet diploma in the 1970s. It is still necessary to distinguish between the diplomas of that time and the value of those awarded today. As they were older and more mature, primary and middle school students could assimilate a much larger flow of information than today. In addition to the traditional school curriculum, women and men could obtain the famous sesame through literacy programs.
From public to private
It is true that the majority of women at the time were oriented towards the civil service and more specifically towards basic functions in education and health. Not forgetting the historical function of women within any management system, namely secretarial work. "Because of her greater dexterity, a woman is more able than a man to manage the secrets contained in the boss's drawers. This is where the essence of the secretary's function comes from," says Essaïd Belal, founding president of the human resources consulting firm Diorh. Since the early 1970s, educated women had understood that if they had the opportunity to access public administrations, they could also obtain work in private companies. All the more so since many of them were part of the initial teams of public offices and companies created in the 1960s. This is how women entered banks, insurance, and later, private companies. It is therefore no coincidence that, forty years later, in the majority of Moroccan companies, of all sizes and sectors, there are older women who jealously guard...
Posted on March 31, 2009
essor
Dossier by Fady Seddiki
We do not intend to stir up machismo between men and women at work or to caricature the image of women in Moroccan companies. The aim of this article is simply to assess the position of women in our management system. We will once again attempt to answer questions that remain and will always remain relevant, such as the place of women in the top management of Moroccan companies, the problems they encounter at work, or the list of the most influential women in private and public management in Morocco. The novelty of this article undoubtedly lies in the first study conducted jointly by Essor and the human resources consulting firm Invest RH. A survey that reveals, through figures, the importance of women's role in managing businesses and public services.
The origins of Moroccan women's work
Before reaching these stages of analysis, a brief historical reference is necessary, if only to take a look back at the beginnings of Moroccan women in the workplace, first in the public service, then in Moroccan companies. "If women have managed to enter the workplace, it is mainly thanks to the monarchy," immediately specifies Jamal Belahrach, general manager of Manpower. And history amply proves him right. In the aftermath of independence, in a social system where male dominance was total, the late King Mohammed V decided to grant women the right to access public office, commonly called "Al Wadhif" at the time. At a time when access to civil servant status was both open and coveted by a society full of hope after newly acquired freedom, tens of thousands of Moroccan women abandoned their status as housewives to go to work or school. Given the shortage of qualified personnel at the time, training requirements were minimal. With a primary school certificate, positions as teachers, nurses, and secretaries in public administration and courts were open to all women in the 1960s. The eligibility threshold was raised to the brevet diploma in the 1970s. It is still necessary to distinguish between the diplomas of that time and the value of those awarded today. As they were older and more mature, primary and middle school students could assimilate a much larger flow of information than today. In addition to the traditional school curriculum, women and men could obtain the famous sesame through literacy programs.
From public to private
It is true that the majority of women at the time were oriented towards the civil service and more specifically towards basic functions in education and health. Not forgetting the historical function of women within any management system, namely secretarial work. "Because of her greater dexterity, a woman is more able than a man to manage the secrets contained in the boss's drawers. This is where the essence of the secretary's function comes from," says Essaïd Belal, founding president of the human resources consulting firm Diorh. Since the early 1970s, educated women had understood that if they had the opportunity to access public administrations, they could also obtain work in private companies. All the more so since many of them were part of the initial teams of public offices and companies created in the 1960s. This is how women entered banks, insurance, and later, private companies. It is therefore no coincidence that, forty years later, in the majority of Moroccan companies, of all sizes and sectors, there are older women who jealously guard...
Posted on March 31, 2009
essor
