Innovation, Gender, and Labor Productivity in Morocco: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

In a context marked by persistent gender inequalities and the growing importance of innovation as a driver of productivity, understanding the interactions between innovation, gender, and labor productivity is becoming a central issue for emerging economies. This article presents a systematic review of the literature on the relationships between innovation, gender, and labor productivity in Morocco, with the aim of assessing the mechanisms through which these dimensions interact within firms and the labor market. Despite the abundance of studies devoted separately to innovation, gender, or productivity, the Moroccan and MENA literature remains fragmented and still offers few analyses that simultaneously integrate these three dimensions.

The methodology adopted is based on the PRISMA 2020 protocol, drawing on a literature review conducted between January and March 2026 in the Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases. Of the 186 documents initially identified, 26 studies were ultimately selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

The results show that women remain structurally underrepresented in innovation- and productivity-intensive sectors due to constraints related to access to financing, sectoral segregation, and socio-institutional barriers. Although innovation is generally associated with improved productivity, its effects remain unevenly distributed across gender structures. Furthermore, the literature remains fragmented and insufficiently integrated from an analytical perspective.

The research concludes that the implementation of gender-inclusive innovation policies constitutes a strategic lever for strengthening labor productivity and promoting inclusive growth in Morocco, subject to further empirical approaches and causal analyses.

Classification JEL : O31, L25, J16, O55, C23

Paper type: Theoretical Research or Empirical Research