Casablanca, November 30, 2020 - The General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, launched Wednesday, November 25, 2020 a common platform aimed at encouraging companies to promote more employability and professional development of women in companies.
In Morocco, the gender gap in the labor market is still significant. Indeed, if 70% of men occupy positions in the formal sector, the participation rate of women has, for its part, steadily decreased in recent years. Thus, today, only 21% of women hold formal jobs against 26% in 2004, according to modeled ILO estimates .
Through a series of meetings addressing various aspects relating to the employment of women, the CGEM-IFC platform intends to bring out a group of “champion” employers in Morocco. Their common credo: to highlight the advantages of gender diversity within companies and to suggest concrete avenues promoting the employment of women in the private sector.
"The private sector plays a crucial role in women's access to better employment opportunities. Despite the advances made globally, the issue of parity and equal opportunities remains a topical issue. ", estimates Mrs. Saadia Slaoui Bennani, President of the Responsible Enterprise and Citizen Commission of the CGEM.
"42% of university students are women, and yet only half of them are officially active. This loss of female talent in the labor market has a negative impact on the performance of Moroccan companies" says Xavier Reille, Director of IFC in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.
"As Moroccan companies adjust their activities to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic , the promotion of female talents in the company is a stimulus lever for sustainable and equitable growth. IFC's tools such as diagnosis EDGE or platforms for the exchange of experiences between companies can accelerate this movement, ”he added.
CGEM and IFC are long-standing partners, collaborating on a wide range of areas to strengthen private sector development in Morocco. Their latest partnership is part of IFC's Women's Employment Program, a three-year initiative aimed at increasing women's participation in the workforce. This program is implemented in partnership with the government of the Netherlands.
About IFC
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is the leading private sector-focused development institution in emerging countries. It operates in over 100 countries, devoting its capital, skills and influence to creating markets and opportunities in developing countries. In FY2020, it invested $ 22 billion in private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, mobilizing the capacities of the private sector to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity . For more information, visit www.ifc.org . Follow IFC news: www.facebook.com/IFCwbg
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