Morocco Gets Its First Female Prime Minister, and the Whole Continent Is Watching

Morocco has made history. On 29 September 2026, King Mohammed VI named Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s prime minister. No woman has ever held the job before.
##Who is she?
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri is 50 years old. She was born in Marrakesh and trained as a lawyer, with a focus on property law. She joined the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in 2008, the year it was founded. In 2009 she became the first woman to be mayor of Marrakesh.

More recently she served as Morocco’s housing and urban planning minister. Today she is also one of the leaders of PAM, her party.
##Why is this historic?
For decades, every Moroccan prime minister has been a man. That has now changed.
Here is how it happened, in simple terms:
- Morocco held a parliamentary election on 23 September.
- PAM won the most seats, with 97 out of 395.
- In Morocco, the king picks the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats.
- A few days later, he chose El Mansouri.

She still has work to do. PAM did not win a majority, so she must build a coalition with other parties before her government can start. Many people also noted that turnout in the election was the lowest in about two decades.
On the day she was named, she called the moment “historic” and said it was a proud day for all Moroccan women. She also said she knows people expect a lot from her, especially young people. Jobs and the rising cost of living are the big problems waiting for her.
##How are people reacting?
The news travelled fast across the continent, and African media covered it widely.
In Morocco, opinions are split. Supporters say it breaks a barrier that stood for a very long time, and one commentator argued that it widens what women in Morocco can hope to achieve. Her critics are not impressed. Abdelilah Benkirane, a former prime minister who leads the opposition PJD party, said his party will not join her coalition. He also claimed the election was “tainted by fraud” but gave no details.
Even so, many people agree on one thing. She will be judged like any other leader, on what she delivers for jobs, prices and everyday life.

## Why it matters beyond Morocco
Africa has had very few women at the top of government. So when a country like Morocco, a major power in North Africa that is also preparing to help host the 2030 World Cup, puts a woman in charge, people notice. Whether she succeeds or struggles, young women across the continent will be watching.