‘Truly historic’: Morocco’s king appoints first woman prime minister

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has named Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister and the second-woman ever in the Arab world to serve in the position. The royal palace said in a statement on Tuesday that El Mansouri, a 50-year-old urban planning minister and the mayor of Marrakesh, was tasked with forming a new government. El Mansouri said in a televised address her appointment was “truly historic”. “For the first time in our country’s history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government,” she said. “This is a source of pride not only for me but for all Moroccan women.