04/22/2026
« I am Aicha Khrouz, Head of the Urban Studies and Social Cohesion Department at the Directorate of City Policy and National Gender Focal Point of the Housing and City Policy Department within the Ministry of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing, and City Policy.
I also warmly welcomed my designation as the Department’s National Gender Focal Point and my invitation to join the RCI, leading to the discovery of the FOF. These elements represent, for me, the true starting point and driving force of change. These changes are not only personal but also professional.
The technical assistance, guidance, and support provided by the FOF to the RCI and its members are the main drivers behind these changes and serve as a source of inspiration for initiating and shaping actions aimed at institutionalizing the gender approach within the Department.
On a personal level, this experience has strengthened my public speaking skills, expanded my network with individuals working on similar issues, and enhanced my capacities in gender-related methodologies. It has also broadened my understanding of the various stakeholders working toward the same cause, whose roles are essential. Beyond the important role of civil society, the role of women parliamentarians discovered through the FOF is also crucial.
On a professional level, the FOF has been a true learning platform. Through exchanges with countries in the MENA region, particularly Jordan and Tunisia, I realized that initial efforts to integrate gender into city policy were limited to a single aspect. Thanks to the FOF, I strengthened both my conceptual and methodological capacities. This includes understanding the difference between gender and the gender approach, as well as gaining tools for analysis, design, implementation, and defining objectives for integrating gender into my institution.
As a result, I have initiated several actions aimed at institutionalizing the gender approach, including:
🔹 Appointing a Gender Focal Point for each central and local entity, as well as for institutions under the Ministry’s supervision, totaling 58 Gender Focal Points
🔹 Establishing co-financing partnerships, with the FOF, for training and capacity building of Gender Focal Points
🔹 Securing funding and technical assistance partnerships to conduct a sectoral gender analysis study across all government programs implemented by the Ministry, in order to develop gender-sensitive indicators
🔹 Introducing annual and three-year budgeting aimed at institutionalizing the gender approach
🔹 Creating an institutional environment that fosters dialogue around gender issues and actions to be taken within programs and sectors, through awareness-raising among decision-makers at both central and local levels
In the near future, I aim to work diligently to establish true Gender-Responsive Budgeting and advocate for the integration of a gender unit within the Department’s organizational structure. »
