Women lead at least 15 percent of companies in Morocco, according to the 2022-2023 report by the Moroccan Observatory of Very Small and Medium Enterprises (OMTPME).
The figure has remained consistent since 2020.
Africa boasts a female entrepreneurship rate of 24 percent, with sub-Saharan Africa reaching 25.9 percent, indicating that one in four women in the region is an entrepreneur.
OMTPME executive director Amal Idrissi highlighted during a press briefing in Casablanca the persistent inequalities, particularly in terms of access to bank credit.
In 2023, only 14.6 percent of companies run by women benefited from bank financing, representing barely 11.3 percent of total outstanding credits.
The report also highlights regional disparities: women run 17.6 percent of businesses in the Marrakech-Safi region, 16.6 percent in Rabat-Salé-Kenitra and 15.6 percent in Casablanca-Settat, while areas such as Béni Mellal-Khenifra and the Oriental have lower rates, close to 10 percent.
Despite these challenges, female entrepreneurship is particularly active in certain sectors, such as health (40 percent), services (30 percent) and education (30 percent).
On the other hand, the construction, transport and extractive industries sectors remain dominated by men, with female entrepreneurship rates below 10 percent.
SL/Sf/ac/fss/jn/APA