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. El Mansouri's Authenticity and Modernity Party (Pam) won the most seats in September's parliamentary election and has since announced a coalition with three other parties. Together, they hold 207 of the 395 seats in parliament. El Mansouri's royal appointment was historic but it exposed persistent reservations about women in positions of power.
The day after her appointment, local broadcaster Chouf TV took to the streets to ask Moroccan men "what they thought" of a woman heading the government. Several men, mostly middle-aged or older, hesitated before answering. Some said they accepted the decision because it was the king's choice. One grey-haired man, who did not give his name or age, said: "It feels strange to have a woman as head of government.
I'm not sure if it sits well with me." Criticism of the monarchy carries legal risks in Morocco. The penal code criminalises certain forms of offence or insult against the king, the royal family and the monarchy.