Social Policies and Social Work in Morocco

Progress, limitations, and challenges in a field under construction

Abstract

Introduction: Over the past two decades, Morocco has undergone a significant transformation in economic, social, political, and cultural terms. These changes have been accompanied by a new institutional architecture and the implementation of a series of public policies, including the social policies designed by the State in recent years. Within this context of emerging new policies and mechanisms aimed at improving the well-being of the population, Social Work has acquired a relevant role, though not without limitations and ambiguities. Despite the definition of social work established by Law No. 45-18 (2021), relating to the organization of the profession of social workers, the notion of Social Work in Morocco still presents significant conceptual gaps. The objective of this article is to illustrate the changes that have taken place in the field of social policies and Social Work in Morocco, as well as the remaining challenges.

Methods: This article is based on a review of the literature, documents, and legislation, supplemented by interviews with various institutional and civil society actors.

Results: The architecture of Morocco's social protection system has become significantly more complex, with a notable diversity of participating agencies. In the field of Social Work, progress has been made in its legislative regulation, with the enactment of a law that seeks to organize its practice, while at the same time, the demand for and supply of training have increased.

Discussion: Despite advances in its institutional framework, the Moroccan protection system still faces significant limitations in addressing numerous social and economic problems. The expansion of the protection system has led to a growing demand for professionals, both in public institutions and in civil society organizations. In this context, and although the social work profession has been officially regulated, professionals continue to have very diverse profiles. At the same time, these professionals face significant job insecurity. Furthermore, research and publications in the field of social work from an academic perspective are very limited.

Conclusions: The economic and sociopolitical changes that have occurred in Morocco over the last two decades have driven significant progress in social policies, but major obstacles remain that affect the expansion of certain social rights and the guarantee of human rights. Social Work itself, despite advances in training, is understood as a field that encompasses the different social professions, which projects onto it a notable heterogeneity that can work against the construction of a discipline with well-defined scientific bases.