Outcome MAR_D_3.1

Public policies are efficient, inclusive, territorialized, integrate sustainable development, and are based on data.

Key public actors strengthened their capacities in planning, formulating and implementing inclusive and gender sensitive public policies at national and territorial level, using solid evidence-base and gender-sensitive statistics. Actors particularly strengthened their capacities on gender mainstreaming, gender analysis, gender budgeting and gender sensitive local planning. UN Women Morocco provided technical support to contribute to this result. In partnership with the National Statistics Office (HCP), UN Women developed efficient tools to reinforce production and dissemination of gender statistics in Morocco. In 2023, the Ministry of Economy and Finance built and reinforced national capacities on Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB), with support from Morocco CO. The technical support has led to a series of results, namely public institutions increased their capacities to formulate inclusive and efficient public policies. As of date, several ministries possess a detailed sector gender analysis, outlining gender gaps and issues in their respective sectors and sustained by qualitative and quantitative data. These analyses inform gender-sensitive action plans or roadmaps that will in turn contribute to mainstreaming gender equality within sectoral policies and programmes. To influence public policies and programmes, the Ministry of Finance developed and finalized a national gender marker methodology to apply to all sectoral budgets, which will enable tracking gender-related public expenditures and highlight the financial investment allocated to gender equality, jointly with UN Women Morocco. While the implementation of the gender marker will provide a rough estimate of public budget dedicated to gender equality, the data will illustrate trends over time and shed light on potentially underfinanced gender equality commitments. In 2023, the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Morocco organized a high-level advocacy event on Gender Responsive Budgeting as a driver of change for gender equality, jointly with UN Women Morocco. GRB is adopted by the Government of Morocco as a strategic approach to public finance to ensure inclusive and efficient planning and public spending. Over 200 participants from various countries across the MENA and West African region, representing the public sector (ministries of finance, planning and local authorities), international organizations (World Bank, IMF, AFD) and NGO’s engaged in high level advocacy on GRB. This occurred during a 2-day regional event organized by UNW Morocco and the Ministry of Finance, capitalizing on the momentum generated by the run-up to the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the IMF in Marrakesh. Participants also accessed a platform for South-South exchange in expertise and good practices during a series of technical panels on public finance reforms, gender and climate budgeting, and GRB at territorial level during the conference. The regional conference showcased the longstanding partnership between UN Women and the Ministry of Economy and Finance and its direct outcomes in building the pillars of Morocco’s GRB model. The institutional and legal framework, policies, knowledge, capacities and tools for Morocco are considered an international and regional best practice in GRB implementation. In 2023, significant progress was noted in strengthening the production and dissemination of gender statistics in Morocco. With UN Women support, communication tools for gender-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were developed by the High Commission for Planning, the national NSO to enhance gender statistics and data dissemination. These innovative tools include two video animations on gender-sensitive SDG indicators, four infographics and dynamic graphs illustrating gender inequality, an online web page providing a gender perspective on SDGs and a leaflet on gender-sensitive indicators for SDGs. These knowledge tools enable a wide array of users ( civil society, media, sectoral ministries, policy makers, etc) to easily access and comprehend useful and timely gender sensitive data. The final reports on the household satellite account and the analysis of social norms in Moroccan households were edited in reader-friendly formats, printed, and widely disseminated during the regional gender statistics conference jointly organized by UNECA and UN Women (ESARO & WECARO) in Casablanca, and during a presentation to the MPs from the House of Representatives. Within the framework of the Women Count II strategy, UN Women Morocco and the HCP launched a study on "Evaluation of Policies to Promote Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in the Labor Market: A Macro-Micro Approach for Morocco". This study will develop a computable equilibrium model integrating the gender dimension and domestic work, to build a sound analytical framework for assessing macroeconomic and microeconomic impacts of policy interventions on gender equality in the labor market, economic dynamics and overall well-being. A study on violence against children as well as a study on estimating the socio-economic cost of economically empowering rural women were also launched by UN Women in Q4 2023. With regards to promoting gender-sensitive governance, local authorities engaged in gender mainstreaming in territorial planning and budgeting with UN Women support. Elected representatives and executives from the 4 regions and communes of Béni Mellal-Khénifra, Tanger-Tétouan-Alhoceima, L'Oriental and Draa Tafilalalt strengthened their capacities on various priorities. Elected representatives (total of 80, of which 60 women) benefitted from training and strengthened their skills in territorial planning, gender tools, advocacy techniques and women's leadership. Members of regional bodies for equity, equal opportunity and gender mainstreaming (IEECAG) (30 women) equipped themselves with skills to submit gender-sensitive proposals and formulate advisory opinions responding in a differentiated way to the needs of men and women. Elected women members of the IEECAGs in 4 regions mobilized partnerships at regional level and developed an action and advocacy plan on gender equality and the role of women in the economic development of their respective regions, as a result of UN Women support.

Public policies are efficient, inclusive, territorialized, integrate sustainable development, and are based on data.

Significant progress has been made towards the achievement of outcome 3.1 during the reporting year and this progress is evidenced by several initiatives. Key results include the successful collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to enhance capacities on Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB). This led to the completion of gender analyses across several sectors, including Tourism, Justice, Digital Transition, and Housing. These analyses, based on both qualitative and quantitative data, identified gender gaps and informed the creation of gender-sensitive action plans and roadmaps that will integrate gender equality into sectoral policies and budgets. UN Women also supported the High Commission for Planning (HCP) (NSO) in producing and disseminating strategic gender data, shedding light on gender inequalities in areas like rural women's economic empowerment, gender-based violence, and social dynamics within Moroccan households. These insights have been pivotal in informing public decisions, as seen during consultations on the reform of the Family Code. Although changes to the Code are still under discussion, early indications show a promising recognition of the value of women's unpaid domestic work. Furthermore, through capacity-building initiatives, UN Women Morocco equipped 32 participants from various institutions in Morocco, including the Ministry of Interior, the Regional Council, Association Migration et Développement, l’Union de l’Action Féminine, the National School of Applied Science in Agadir, or the Regional Investment Center, with the tools to use and produce gender-sensitive statistics. These efforts are expected to improve the design and implementation of public policies grounded in gender equality and evidence. In the realm of regional development, UN Women worked closely with local stakeholders in the Souss-Massa and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma regions to improve gender mainstreaming within their development programs. This included an in-depth analysis of existing regional development plans, resulting in concrete recommendations for better integration of gender-sensitive approaches and the creation of internal action plans for gender-sensitive project implementation. Moreover, the establishment of regional networks for gender institutionalization in public administration has fostered sustainable, gender-sensitive governance at local levels. These efforts have been supported by training programs for civil servants in the Marrakech-Safi and Drâa-Tafilalet regions which have strengthened their ability to mainstream gender in public administration, focusing on leadership and inclusive decision-making processes. Under the urban planning thematic area, gender-sensitive approaches to public spaces have been introduced in the cities of Chtouka Ait Baha and Belfaa, ensuring that safety, accessibility, and amenities are integrated with a focus on the needs of women and marginalized groups. Finally, UN Women’s advocacy work resulted in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ increased ownership of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, reinforcing Morocco’s commitment to improving women’s participation in peacebuilding and peacekeeping processes. UN Women’s contribution was critical by providing concretes elements on the key steps to follow for the extension of Morocco’s National Action Plan for the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the preparation of the second generation of NAP. The main challenge is to leverage this opportunity to ensure greater inclusiveness and reinforce their commitments to gender equality in peace and security, namely by capitalizing on good practices and integrate lessons learned. In light of achieved progress, the Theory of Change remains valid, as it emphasizes strengthening institutional capacities for gender-responsive budgeting, improving evidence-based policy frameworks, and integrating gender data into public sector planning. These elements continue to be the cornerstone of the ongoing progress toward inclusive and gender-sensitive public policies in Morocco.