Women at Work: Significant Progress, But Much Remains to Be Done
25 June 2009
Read by 1382 persons
Text: Women mainly hold jobs in the service sector, particularly in relational positions.
They are more exposed to precarious or part-time employment, and motherhood often hinders their professional advancement.
Women's activity has increased by 52% in four years.
Representing half of the population, Moroccan women have always participated in the economic life of their community and family, directly or indirectly. Statistically, the rate of women's activity increased by 52% in four years, rising from 17.7% in 2004 to 26.6% in 2008 (statistics from the High Commission for Planning). In urban areas, it is around 20%, while it is 37% in rural areas. The most active age groups remain 25-34 years old and 35-44 years old, with an activity rate of 32% respectively.
While the evolution and emancipation of women are undeniable, the situation is often contrasted. It must be emphasized that women have now entered all professions, but unevenly. For example, in the public service, there is significant feminization in certain administrations or ministries, particularly in teaching and healthcare. However, very senior public positions remain largely male-dominated, as evidenced by the low number of women as central administration directors.
In the private sector, there is an over-representation of men in senior technical professions (engineers), a specialization of women in logistics roles (human resources, administration...), and, consequently, under-representation in roles considered strategic (product development, finance...). They occupy a small percentage of decision-making positions. This is certainly not due to a lack of competence that they are relegated to the background. Today, more and more women are pursuing higher education. Therefore, in this respect, they can compete on an equal footing with men.
The Labor Code has improved the status of women
According to Omar Benbada, an expert in labor law, "the renewal of social legislation constitutes a major qualitative change, due to the introduction of provisions prohibiting any discrimination against women, and introducing others relating to equal opportunities, and the protection of women."
The labor code has recognized and integrated all international conventions prohibiting discrimination at work and obligating employers to protect women. Among the main advances, we should note better protection against arduous work, maternity protection, and protection against all forms of discrimination.
However, they are slow to progress more quickly. Men are not yet ready to share their power with others, even less with women. The company is too often a men's club where members coopt each other. Even school and professional guidance plays an important role in the formation of the pool of talent. Then there are stereotypes about women's supposed skills and their suitability for corporate jobs. Women are confined to career paths that prevent them from accessing senior management positions. Finally, there are still too many prejudices related to motherhood and the supposed lower mobility of women, due to still too heavy family responsibilities. "Today, mobility or professional advancement still scares a certain category of women," confirms Omar Benaini, associate consultant at the LMS HR firm.
Worse still, a large majority of women cannot be considered active since most of them are in the informal sector and carry out activities at home. According to observers, a review of social laws would be welcome.
Questions to Omar Benaini, Associate Consultant at the LMS HR firm: No pay gap in structured companies
La Vie éco: According to your salary surveys, do you think women are generally paid less than men?
O.B.: Our salary surveys are generally carried out with around fifty structured companies. Those that have implemented an HR policy with salary scales. We do not observe any discrimination against women in this respect. There is no gender-based salary policy. On the contrary, the salary is based on the profile, whether male or female, their training, experience... If a man earns, for example, one million dirhams annually for a senior position and is replaced by a woman, she will receive the same salary. However, the real difficulty for a woman is to access a senior position. Her progress slows down as she approaches decision-making positions. She is obliged to observe a long halt, or even stagnation in positions that should open the way to strategic functions. If we take the banking sector, for example, we will notice that women are a minority in management committees.
That said, there are still disparities...
I would say structural disparities. It is clear that, in unstructured companies, male executives earn much more than female executives for a similar position. In any company, you will find that the top 20 salaries are taken up by 80% of men. The real battle is to say how many women the company wants to put in place in strategic positions. I would also add that the further away we get from structured companies, the more we fall into the realm of patriarchy, machismo, and tribalism. In other words, women have very little chance of advancing in these structures. Moreover, if disparities still exist, it is because women have internalized and accepted this "inferior" status. They therefore self-censor. Some prefer not to exhibit excessively high salary expectations in order to negotiate other benefits such as more flexible working hours. These are informal practices that are developing. Today, mobility or professional advancement still scares a certain category of women. I know women who have flatly refused senior positions for fear of disrupting their family life. Fortunately, the new generation of managers have shaken up these practices. They have understood that women are worth as much as men and, consequently, they have put in place procedures based on transparency and equity.
What about the public sector?
A significant feminization is observed in certain administrations. The evolution is nevertheless significant. In the 1960s, they were confined to secretarial positions; in the 1980s, we began to see women executives in the administration, while today they hold positions as directors of central administration, even if they are still a minority. Again, there is no differentiated salary policy. It is according to the scale.
brahim habriche
Published on September 7, 2009
Posted online on September 12, 2009
lavieeco.com
They are more exposed to precarious or part-time employment, and motherhood often hinders their professional advancement.
Women's activity has increased by 52% in four years.
Representing half of the population, Moroccan women have always participated in the economic life of their community and family, directly or indirectly. Statistically, the rate of women's activity increased by 52% in four years, rising from 17.7% in 2004 to 26.6% in 2008 (statistics from the High Commission for Planning). In urban areas, it is around 20%, while it is 37% in rural areas. The most active age groups remain 25-34 years old and 35-44 years old, with an activity rate of 32% respectively.
While the evolution and emancipation of women are undeniable, the situation is often contrasted. It must be emphasized that women have now entered all professions, but unevenly. For example, in the public service, there is significant feminization in certain administrations or ministries, particularly in teaching and healthcare. However, very senior public positions remain largely male-dominated, as evidenced by the low number of women as central administration directors.
In the private sector, there is an over-representation of men in senior technical professions (engineers), a specialization of women in logistics roles (human resources, administration...), and, consequently, under-representation in roles considered strategic (product development, finance...). They occupy a small percentage of decision-making positions. This is certainly not due to a lack of competence that they are relegated to the background. Today, more and more women are pursuing higher education. Therefore, in this respect, they can compete on an equal footing with men.
The Labor Code has improved the status of women
According to Omar Benbada, an expert in labor law, "the renewal of social legislation constitutes a major qualitative change, due to the introduction of provisions prohibiting any discrimination against women, and introducing others relating to equal opportunities, and the protection of women."
The labor code has recognized and integrated all international conventions prohibiting discrimination at work and obligating employers to protect women. Among the main advances, we should note better protection against arduous work, maternity protection, and protection against all forms of discrimination.
However, they are slow to progress more quickly. Men are not yet ready to share their power with others, even less with women. The company is too often a men's club where members coopt each other. Even school and professional guidance plays an important role in the formation of the pool of talent. Then there are stereotypes about women's supposed skills and their suitability for corporate jobs. Women are confined to career paths that prevent them from accessing senior management positions. Finally, there are still too many prejudices related to motherhood and the supposed lower mobility of women, due to still too heavy family responsibilities. "Today, mobility or professional advancement still scares a certain category of women," confirms Omar Benaini, associate consultant at the LMS HR firm.
Worse still, a large majority of women cannot be considered active since most of them are in the informal sector and carry out activities at home. According to observers, a review of social laws would be welcome.
Questions to Omar Benaini, Associate Consultant at the LMS HR firm: No pay gap in structured companies
La Vie éco: According to your salary surveys, do you think women are generally paid less than men?
O.B.: Our salary surveys are generally carried out with around fifty structured companies. Those that have implemented an HR policy with salary scales. We do not observe any discrimination against women in this respect. There is no gender-based salary policy. On the contrary, the salary is based on the profile, whether male or female, their training, experience... If a man earns, for example, one million dirhams annually for a senior position and is replaced by a woman, she will receive the same salary. However, the real difficulty for a woman is to access a senior position. Her progress slows down as she approaches decision-making positions. She is obliged to observe a long halt, or even stagnation in positions that should open the way to strategic functions. If we take the banking sector, for example, we will notice that women are a minority in management committees.
That said, there are still disparities...
I would say structural disparities. It is clear that, in unstructured companies, male executives earn much more than female executives for a similar position. In any company, you will find that the top 20 salaries are taken up by 80% of men. The real battle is to say how many women the company wants to put in place in strategic positions. I would also add that the further away we get from structured companies, the more we fall into the realm of patriarchy, machismo, and tribalism. In other words, women have very little chance of advancing in these structures. Moreover, if disparities still exist, it is because women have internalized and accepted this "inferior" status. They therefore self-censor. Some prefer not to exhibit excessively high salary expectations in order to negotiate other benefits such as more flexible working hours. These are informal practices that are developing. Today, mobility or professional advancement still scares a certain category of women. I know women who have flatly refused senior positions for fear of disrupting their family life. Fortunately, the new generation of managers have shaken up these practices. They have understood that women are worth as much as men and, consequently, they have put in place procedures based on transparency and equity.
What about the public sector?
A significant feminization is observed in certain administrations. The evolution is nevertheless significant. In the 1960s, they were confined to secretarial positions; in the 1980s, we began to see women executives in the administration, while today they hold positions as directors of central administration, even if they are still a minority. Again, there is no differentiated salary policy. It is according to the scale.
brahim habriche
Published on September 7, 2009
Posted online on September 12, 2009
lavieeco.com
