Women in Morocco play a crucial role in the production of high-quality olive oil, said Siham Rouas, a professor at the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 15th annual International Exhibition of Agriculture in Morocco, Rouas explained that women are responsible for the harvest and storage of olives in several regions in Morocco. The two operations account for 45% of the quality of olive oil.
Despite their contribution, only 36% of women are employed in olive farming, and their work is not always accounted for in official statistics, Rouas noted.
The olive sector in Morocco is an essential part of agriculture and accounts for 5% of the agriculture’s gross domestic product. The sector also generates 51 million days of work, equivalent to 380,000 permanent jobs.
Cultivation of olive crops is largely concentrated in the Fez-Meknes and Marrakech-Safi regions, which account for 54% of the total area of olive crops.
While noting the importance of the sector in Morocco, Rouas called for stronger quality control strategies to avert health risks for consumers.
Joining Rouas in calling for recognizing the agency of women in the olive oil industry was Malika Bounfour, president of a cooperative and doctor in Entomology, who stressed the need to recognize women’s work in family orchards and to support them to integrate into the national economy.
The case of women in agriculture is not an isolated incident. In the country’s economy at large, women are underrepresented.
According to a February 2023 report by the Higher Commission for Planning (HCP) released, the majority of the country’s inactive workforce in 2022 were women, with 73% of the 15 million people falling under this category. Additionally, the HCP report revealed that 80% of women in Morocco who are of working age are not part of the labor market.
