Casablanca – Le Casablanca Hôtel hosted the evening “CAP 8 MARS” to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8.
The event gathered women business leaders, artists, and guests for a night of discussion and art dedicated to reflecting on women’s place in society.
Held under the theme “Women as Agents of Progress,” the event shed light on the advances women have achieved and the obstacles that remain.
Speaking to Morocco World News (MWN), Leila Bazzi, a lawyer by training, talked about the importance of International Women’s Day in cherishing the progress made while highlighting the challenges that women still face today.
“The reform of the Moudawana in the course of discussion, the law 19-20 which imposes gender quotas in the board of directors. All these initiatives show us a desire to advance equality in terms of rights, but also to strengthen women’s leadership.”
She continued, “but unfortunately, in reality, today we have a rate of 19% of women who are represented in the world of business, which is alarming today and which shows us that there is still a lot of work to achieve perfect equality.”
Roundtable discussion
Moderated by Bazzi, the program opened with a roundtable discussion focused on women’s roles in entrepreneurship, governance, and leadership across different sectors.
The panel brought together women who built strong careers in business, entrepreneurship and law. Through their experiences, they highlighted how professional spaces are still largely shaped by male dominance. While more women are entering these fields, access to decision-making positions and major markets often remains limited.
Laila Doukali, National President of AFEM Morocco, pointed out that many industries continue to operate within structures historically controlled by men.
“Businesses are essentially male-dominated,” she lamented. “This reality affects how opportunities are distributed and who gets access to influential networks.”
Rita Maria Zniber, Chief Executive Officer of Diana Holding, came with another perspective. She addressed the economic dimension of women’s participation in leadership, stressing: “Giving up women’s rights is giving up 50% of the country’s wealth.”
In her view, strengthening women’s rights is directly linked to strengthening economic growth and national prosperity.
The conversation also addressed leadership and governance. Samira Khamlichi, President of the Women Directors Club CFA Morocco, emphasized that competence should always be the true measure of leadership. According to her, effective governance is not determined by gender but by competence.
Women remain underrepresented
However, despite the progress women have achieved, statistics show that women remain largely underrepresented at the highest levels of corporate leadership.
Only a very small number of large Moroccan companies are led by women at the board level, the panelists highlighted, underlining that this imbalance reflects a broader pattern across major institutions.
They also reflected on the subtle forms of bias women still encounter. Even when women reach high levels of success, their achievements are still measured against male standards. This kind of comparison reveals that certain stereotypes remain deeply rooted.
Despite these challenges, the overall tone of the discussion remained optimistic. The panelists agreed that progress is visible, but they stressed that true transformation will require more than policy changes.
The panel discussion offered a lens on women’s role in society from different perspectives. Yet all speakers shared a similar conclusion: That while laws and policies can open doors, changing mentalities and social perceptions of women’s leadership is the key to change.
Art exhibition
After the roundtable concluded, the evening continued with an art exhibition. Guests explored works created by Moroccan women artists, bringing the event to a close with a celebration of creativity and talent.
Beyond showcasing artistic expression, the exhibition also carried a charitable purpose. A percentage of the proceeds from the artworks sold during the evening will go in support of the Oum Keltoum Foundation.
In an exclusive interview with MWN, Chama Chraibi, one of the artists whose works were exhibited shared with us her perspective as an artist and entrepreneur.
“I’m very happy to be able to exercise my passion, to have had the luck to have had a good education and all the toolkits to allow me to rise to the occasion and to believe in myself,” she said. “And I’m always trying to remind women that empowered women empower women.”