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“You can’t have an effective budget, and an effective use ofthe public purse if you do not identify targets and considerthe gender impact from the moment of policy conception,”says Mohamed.The road to becoming fully gender responsive has beenlong. Morocco began looking at the impact of genderin budgets in 2002, outlining a strategy, training publicservants and creating technical tools. Since 2005 Moroccohas produced a gender report providing a vital tool toensure accountability and in 2007 the Prime Ministerof Morocco sent a letter to all departments urging themto take up GRB. Currently, a total of 27 departments,accounting for more than 80 per cent of the government’sbudget, have adopted the tool.A new landmark was reached in 2014, with the passing of anew finance law, which legally obliges the government toconsider gender throughout the budget process.First grade student at an elementary school in a Moroccan villagePhoto: World Bank“You can’t have an effectivebudget, and effective useof the public purse if youdo not identify targets andconsider the gender impactfrom the moment of policyconception”In Morocco the gender impact of any policy is not an afterthought- it is considered right from the word go. Which means thatwhen it comes to crucial policies such as universal education,targets are set for both sexes and the barriers which couldprevent girls going to school are factored into the budgetingprocess. For example when a school is planned, money is putaside to ensure that there are adequate toilets that can beused by girls. Not only that, but in its efforts to improve accessto running water, the government also collects information onthe number of girls who have to collect water in rural areas, aburden that can prevent them from attending school.“Since 2002 we have seen a pragmatic move forward -there have been constraints, there have been those whohave attempted to take us backwards, but whereas GRBwas informal before, now it is enshrined in law,” saysMohamed.From a legal perspective, huge progress in women’s rightshas also been made. A major advance was achievedin 2004 with the passing of a new family law whichguaranteed equality of the sexes in marriage. In the sameyear, Morocco’s new labour code spelt out women’s rightsto maternity leave. Meanwhile, the confederation ofMoroccan businesses (CGEM) has produced guidance toits members to make crèches available in workplaces tosupport working mothers.“We have to reflect on every serious measure to make surewomen can access work, while at the same time makingsure there is a balance between family and professionallife,” Mohamed said.In 2011, the country passed a new constitution guaranteeinggender equality in civil, political, economic, social, culturaland environmental rights. In the same year, Moroccoremoved several of its reservations to CEDAW, in relation towomen’s rights to nationality and to rights within marriageand the family.Mohamed is quick to point out that this progress is notdown to the work of government technocrats, but women’srights campaigners who have been a formidable force.