What can Morocco's first female prime minister change for women?
Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has been appointed as Morocco's first female prime minister, sparking debate over gender roles in the country's leadership. While the appointment is historic, it has faced criticism from conservative figures citing traditional Islamic interpretations.
Why it matters
The appointment highlights the tension between modernizing political reforms and deeply rooted traditionalist views on gender and power in a Muslim-majority constitutional monarchy.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Basma El Atti Reuters El Mansouri (left) was named by King Mohammed VI (right) as the country's first female prime minister The Islamic saying "a people who entrust their affairs to a woman will never succeed" has resurfaced in Morocco since King Mohammed VI named Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as the country's first female prime minister.
Mustafa Ramid, a former justice minister in an Islamist-led government, cited the saying earlier this month, in a lengthy Facebook post questioning whether a woman should hold the country's highest political office.
He argued that Morocco, a Muslim majority country, had found a balance between equality and the responsibilities of state leadership, as the highest office - that of the king - continued to be reserved for men.
Morocco operates as a constitutional monarchy. Yet executive power remains in the hands of the 63-year-old monarch.
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