El Mansouri wins Morocco confidence vote, sets 21.2% women's work target
By Priya NairLeadership & Growth Editor, Peepals Shakti
Representative image: jarmoluk / Pixabay
Morocco's parliament backed PM Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri's programme 204-127 on October 22, 2026; it targets 21.2% women's economic participation by 2031.
What Happened
Morocco's House of Representatives approved the programme of Prime Minister Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri's government on Thursday, October 22, 2026, by 204 votes to 127, with 331 members voting. The vote gives the country's first woman head of government formal parliamentary backing to govern until 2031. Her programme, presented to parliament on October 19, puts women's economic participation at its centre, with a target of raising it to 21.2 per cent, alongside average growth of 5 per cent a year from 2027 to 2031.
Key Facts
- Vote: 204 for and 127 against in the 395-seat House of Representatives on October 22, 2026; an absolute majority of 198 was needed.
- The governing camp had about 235 potential votes but mobilised 204, according to Moroccan media reports.
- Programme period: 2026 to 2031; presented to parliament on October 19.
- Growth target: average 5 per cent a year from 2027 to 2031, with inflation near 2 per cent and the budget deficit capped at 3 per cent of GDP.
- Women: target of raising women's economic participation to 21.2 per cent, continued reform of the Family Code in line with royal guidelines, the constitutional principle of parity, and support for women's entrepreneurship.
- Jobs: about one million jobs promised by 2031, an unemployment target of 7 per cent, and plans to train 100,000 young people a year.
- Social measures: social assistance payments to rise from 500 to 1,000 dirhams and minimum pensions to reach 3,000 dirhams by 2031.
Why It Matters
El Mansouri, a former mayor of Marrakech, was named head of government by King Mohammed VI on September 29 after her Authenticity and Modernity Party won the September 23 election. The confidence vote is the last constitutional step before she governs with full authority. In Morocco's system, a new government must win an absolute majority in the lower house for its programme.
The margin tells its own story. She cleared the threshold with six votes to spare, but fell well short of the roughly 235 seats her coalition partners hold. That gap suggests some coalition members stayed away, which may matter when difficult reforms come to a vote.
For readers following women in leadership, the programme is notable because it does not treat women's issues as a side chapter. The 21.2 per cent participation target is a measurable promise: it refers to the share of women who are working or looking for work. Pairing that target with support for women entrepreneurs, access to decent jobs and financial independence turns a symbolic first into a policy test that can be checked by 2031.
The Family Code, known as the Moudawana, governs marriage, divorce, custody and inheritance. Reforming it is one of the most sensitive issues in Moroccan politics, and the programme commits the government to continue that reform within guidelines set by the king. How far the reform goes will be closely watched by women's rights groups.
There is also an economic test. A 5 per cent average growth target is higher than the 4 per cent aim of the previous government, and the one-million-jobs promise has been questioned by local media, which noted that the programme applies the word "net" only to 250,000 industrial jobs.
| Target | Goal by 2031 |
|---|---|
| Average annual growth | 5 per cent (2027-2031) |
| Women's economic participation | 21.2 per cent |
| Unemployment | 7 per cent |
| Social assistance payment | 1,000 dirhams |
| Minimum pension | 3,000 dirhams |
Impact
Short-term: With the confidence vote won, the government can push its 2027 Finance Bill, due to be presented to both houses of parliament, and begin turning its programme into budget lines.
Long-term: Delivery on the women's participation target and Family Code reform will decide whether El Mansouri's premiership changes outcomes for Moroccan women, or remains mainly a symbolic first.
Who is affected: Moroccan women seeking work and business support; families governed by the Family Code; young job-seekers; and pensioners and households receiving social assistance.
Key Takeaway
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri's government won Morocco's confidence vote 204 to 127 on October 22, 2026, committing her to raise women's economic participation to 21.2 per cent and growth to 5 per cent a year by 2031.
Questions and Answers
Did El Mansouri's government win the confidence vote?
Yes. On October 22, 2026, Morocco's House of Representatives approved her government programme by 204 votes to 127, above the 198 votes needed for an absolute majority.
What does the programme promise for women?
It aims to raise women's economic participation to 21.2 per cent by 2031, continue reform of the Family Code in line with royal guidelines, uphold the principle of parity and support women's entrepreneurship and access to decent jobs.
Who is Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri?
She is Morocco's first woman head of government, appointed by King Mohammed VI on September 29, 2026 after her Authenticity and Modernity Party won the September 23 election. She was previously mayor of Marrakech.
What are the government's economic targets?
Average growth of 5 per cent a year from 2027 to 2031, inflation near 2 per cent, a deficit capped at 3 per cent of GDP, about one million jobs and unemployment down to 7 per cent.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
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