Throughout the entire world women earn less, save less, have less secure jobs, and are often employed in the informal sector. They have less access to social protection and represent the majority of single-parent households. Thus, women are often disadvantaged in their ability to absorb economic shocks in comparison to their male counterparts. As underlined in this strategic note entitled "The Impact of COVID-19 on Women", as well as in numerous other reports produced by the United Nations to alert to this matter: the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects women’s economic activity and productive life. The Millenium Challege Account Morocco (MCA) took action early on to address this issue, requesting that AETS undertakes a study of this issue. In recent years MCA has carried out work in the area of equal opportunities in Moroccan companies, and it will rely on the results of the abovementioned study in order to adequately adapt their work.
This study will be specifically centred on the way in which changes related to the organisation of work (remote work, among others), in a context of a prolonged interruption in the attendance of kindergarten and school by children, as well as other services which are relied on more heavily by women in their access to employment, generate new professional inequalities. The study will also shed light on companies’ behaviour towards these new professional inequalities. The study, carried out by AETS, and specifically conducted by Mathilde Van Drooghenbroeck, will be based on a qualitative approach (semi-structured interviews) and the results, expected to be produced by the beginning of December, will allow for recommendations to be developed, helping with meeting the new challenges in the area of equal opportunities in Moroccan companies.