Nearly 5,000 women heads of enterprises in Morocco

The number of women who are managing and/or owning enterprises stands at about 5,000, that is 0,5% of Morocco's active population, says a new study conducted by a Moroccan expert for the International Labor Office.

A rate of 65% of the firms covered by the study operate in the field of services, 24% in industry and 11% in agriculture and fisheries.

As to capital of these firms, 80% of the enterprises have a capital of less than 1 million DHs (US$ 100,000), 8% have a capital ranging between DHS 1 and 2 million and 4% have a capital greater than DHs 5 million.

According to the study, 81% of the polled firms were created between 1981 and 2001. The remaining 19% were set up before 1980 and were either inherited by women or partially or entirely purchased. The study also finds that 84% of the polled enterprises employ less than 10 staffers, and only 4% have over 200 wage-earners.