The Territorial Planning Process of the Fez-Meknes Region from a Gender Perspective: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Since 2015, Morocco has become aware of the imperative to integrate the gender dimension into the territorial planning process. In this context, the region, as a key actor in territorial management, is called upon to take into account the gender approach during the elaboration of its Regional Development Programme (RDP) as a planning tool in accordance with Law 111-14 concerning regions in Morocco. This article aims to understand how the gender approach is integrated by stakeholders in the process of drawing up the RDP by analysing the specific interests and needs of women and men. Analysis of the various phases of the RDP elaboration process from a gender perspective, including preparation, diagnosis, strategic vision, action planning, budgeting, and finally, the implementation and monitoring-evaluation phase, led us to adopt a qualitative methodology. This approach was implemented through the mobilization of a single case study focusing on the RDP of the Fes-Meknes region for the period 2016-2021. Consequently, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of 15 key informants directly involved in the elaboration of the RDP at its different stages. The results indicate that little account is taken of the specific needs of women at all stages of the process, from preparation to implementation and monitoring-evaluation. This is due to several factors, including the scarcity of sex-disaggregated data at the regional level, the ambiguity of the new legal text on the concept of gender and its integration into the RDP, the ineffectiveness of organizational mechanisms related to gender issues, the lack of knowledge and tools for gender-sensitive planning, as well as the weakness of the 'gender culture' among members of the regional council (RC).