“Catalysts for Change: Voices from TAP-EDM Partnerships” Series
In Morocco, short-term technical assistance through the TAP-EDM initiative supported the Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP) in strengthening gender-based statistical analysis. With guidance from Canadian experts, the HCP introduced Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) to address gaps in gender and intersectional data, reinforcing Morocco’s capacity to shape more inclusive, evidence-based policies. In this series, project partners reflect on how tailored expertise is helping shift institutional practices.
Background
By December 2020, Morocco had less than half (46.7%) of the gender-related data needed to track progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Significant gaps remained in areas such as labour market participation and in comparable data on intersectional issues, including gender and poverty, harassment, women’s access to resources like land, and the links between gender and the environment. Closing these gaps is essential to achieving Morocco’s gender-related SDG targets.1.
Morocco’s Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP), the country’s main statistical agency, has a long history of engaging in gender-responsive budgeting and research focused on gender issues. There has been increasing institutional interest in enhancing how data and analysis shape public policies, especially for vulnerable and marginalized communities. To overcome the lack of analytical frameworks and tools that can explore how gender intersects with other inequality aspects, the HCP collaborated with the TAP-EDM project to boost its capacity using Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+). This effort supports Morocco’s broader progress and initiatives to uphold gender equality principles, aligned with the Constitution, international commitments, and the Government Equality Plan.
Mehdi Abtaibi, a sociologist focused on gender issues, joined the initiative while working in the HCP’s communication and cooperation department. He helped organise logistics and conducted qualitative research for the TAP-EDM project. The Morocco-Canada partnership united colleagues from various HCP departments and introduced innovative practices like team-based product development and international peer learning. When we interviewed Mehdi, he was keen to share his experience.
Mehdi Abtaibi’s Story
What stood out most to Mehdi in this initiative and influenced his personal and institutional learning was Canada’s institutional use of the GBA+ approach. During a technical visit, he saw how Canadian institutions consistently integrated GBA+ reports into policymaking, using them in sectoral assessments, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation—not just as a one-time task. He noted, “One thing that really caught my attention, personally, and that of many colleagues who worked on this project, is the way GBA+ is applied in Canada. It’s the fact that it is truly an institutional approach where different State institutions, at a certain point, produce a GBA+ report.”
This cycle of evidence collection through intersectional analysis, applied consistently across government processes, was especially inspiring. It prompted Mehdi and his colleagues to consider how this approach could be adapted to Morocco. They recognised that GBA+ could do more than provide academic insights; it could be a practical tool for planning and budgeting, leading to more effective and equitable public policies.
Mehdi explained:
“Morocco is increasingly working to address gender inequality challenges. I believe that many public policies will benefit significantly from tools like GBA+ in terms of baseline data quality and impact evaluation, which will support the development of more targeted and effective programs and policies.”
For Mehdi, what was even more striking was how Canada’s approach to diversity, inclusion, and community visibility extended beyond institutions into everyday life. He described it as the “beauty of community ” that influenced him as a researcher and a citizen. The experience deepened his appreciation that inclusion must be embedded and experienced at every level of society to be truly meaningful.
The long-term impacts are already evident: GBA+ is being used in various forms across HCP departments, especially in studies like women’s economic participation. It has contributed to increased methodological rigour, better programme coherence, and greater policy relevance. Mehdi argues that such approaches enhance not only impact but also public spending, as better-designed programmes are more capable of addressing multiple forms of exclusion at once. As he explained,
“I believe many institutions can benefit from it. In our own case, for example, with the study we conducted on women’s economic participation, it was widely applied, highly useful, and truly innovative, combining quantitative and qualitative elements in a very contextualised way.”
Conclusion
Mehdi’s experience with GBA+ and engagement throughout this initiative demonstrates the power of combining institutional collaboration with reflective, intersectional learning. The initiative did more than introduce a new tool; it helped HCP rethink how to approach and analyze complex, layered forms of vulnerability. This shift in perspective has the potential to significantly strengthen Morocco’s approach to gender-responsive budgeting, as well as program and policy design and evaluation.
Overall, this experience has empowered Mehdi and his colleagues to view inequality with increased clarity and nuance. As he stated,
“Every inequality is at least double or triple.”
Acknowledging this complexity and establishing tools to tackle it are crucial for creating more inclusive, effective, and sustainable policies in Morocco and elsewhere.