Catalysts of Recovery: A Case Study on Moroccan Women's Business Associations and Post-Pandemic Industrial Policy (2010–2024)

This case study examines the role of women’s business associations (WBAs) as critical agents in shaping Morocco’s post-pandemic industrial policy landscape from 2020 to 2024. It addresses the research problem of how these female-led civil society organisations navigated a period of profound economic disruption to influence national recovery strategies, a domain traditionally dominated by established, male-centric networks. Employing a qualitative methodology, the research is grounded in a single, revelatory case study design. It analyses official policy documents and public advocacy campaigns, and draws on 24 semi-structured interviews with WBA leaders and government officials. This triangulated data, covering the period from 2010 to 2024, was examined using thematic analysis to trace advocacy strategies and policy outcomes. The findings reveal that Moroccan WBAs, building upon organisational capacities strengthened in the preceding decade, successfully transitioned from traditional support roles to proactive policy entrepreneurship. They leveraged grassroots networks to provide real-time data on gendered economic impacts, which informed the design of more inclusive industrial support measures. Crucially, they advocated for and secured the integration of gender-sensitive criteria within key frameworks, notably the 2021–2023 Industrial Recovery Plan. The study concludes that these associations acted as indispensable catalysts, ensuring post-pandemic industrial policy recognised women-led enterprises as vital to national economic resilience. It demonstrates a model for effective feminist engagement with industrial policy, highlighting how organised collectives can institutionalise gender considerations within macroeconomic planning for a more equitable recovery.