Morocco, UNDP Launch Women' s Digital Leadership Academy

Morocco has partnered with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to launch the Women’s Leadership Academy for the Digital Era, a new initiative aimed at preparing women for leadership roles in technology, public administration, and executive management.  The academy is set to help implement Morocco's national strategy to enhance women's engagement in the country's fast developing digital economy, as well as incline the gender gap in senior decision making roles.

The academy will equip women leaders with digital, leadership and innovation skills to support them to lead organizations in a technology-centric business world. While it has not yet been officially announced when the program will start, how big the cohort will be, what its content will include, who will be eligible to participate, or how it will be financed, it is the latest in a series of efforts by the Moroccan government to invest in inclusive digital development and women-led leadership.

The launch is a part of Morocco's continuous efforts to enhance women's access to opportunities in technology. The Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform launched a national mentorship program earlier this year, with Capgemini, to promote young women into the digital field. This first batch of students consisted of students from various universities in Tangier, Settat, Casablanca-Mohammedia and Fez.

During the launch of the mentorship program, Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni noted that inclusive growth is a key element in building competitiveness, which must be done with "all talents", and that young women must be fully integrated into technology disciplines in order to achieve the digital transition in Morocco. The Women's Leadership Academy takes this vision to women who are already in a leadership position.

Key Highlights

• Equips women leaders with digital, innovation and executive leadership capabilities
• Advances Morocco's strategy for inclusive digital transformation and AI leadership
• Strengthens Morocco-UNDP partnership supporting gender equality and sustainable development

The project also builds on Morocco's overall partnership with UNDP in the areas of digital innovation and artificial intelligence. During the United Nations Open Source Week last month, Minister Seghrouchni had a meeting with high-ranking UN officials, including UNDP Resident Representative in Morocco Ilaria Carnevali, to promote Morocco's position in the fields of artificial intelligence, open-source technologies and South-South cooperation.

These initiatives align with the national "AI Made in Morocco" 2030 strategy aimed at establishing Morocco as a regional hub for AI and digital innovation. The national roadmap features collaborations with Mistral AI, involvement in the European AI Factories project, and ongoing growth of the Digital for Sustainable Development Hub and the Al Jazari innovation ecosystem.

The academy will also help in the overall Moroccan policy goal of higher representation of women in digital leadership. Although there is a higher demand for digital skills across Africa, women are still underrepresented in technology, executive management, and public administration. In recognition of the critical role of women in senior technology and policy roles in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNDP has long emphasized their importance, and Morocco's digital economy expansion has begun to follow suit.

The announcement is a good step in the right direction in terms of inclusive leadership; however, the effectiveness of the academy will be dependent on how it is put into practice. The effectiveness of its ability to build a sustainable pipeline of women leaders that will shape Morocco's digital future will depend on the selection of the participants, program design, and mentorship, partnerships with industry and job placement. The project, if implemented properly, can serve as an important blueprint to help advance women's participation in technology and innovation throughout the region.