The Effects of Imitative Capitalism on Integrating Women and Youth in Maghreb Labour Markets
Dina Zabaneh
The Effects of Imitative Capitalism on Integrating Women and Youth in Maghreb Labour Markets
MECAM Papers English | 2025
Abstract
Towards the end of the twentieth century, Maghreb countries grappled with the consequences of market liberalisation. The accompanying reforms were presumed to lead to higher sector diversification, global integration, increased investment, and reduced unemployment, particularly among women and youth. However, what manifests today is a form of “imitative capitalism” that has led to the deterioration of labour market conditions.
The analysis of the Maghreb’s labour markets reveals systematic shortcomings that have hindered their improvement. The composition of these markets, the countries’ agrarian economies and cultural norms, and the evolution of the respective public sectors do not align with the economic prerequisites needed for the structural reforms implemented since the 1980s to have a positive effect.
The situation reflects similar trends to those described in Raúl Prebisch’s theory of imitative capitalism, which critiques the imposition of neoliberal approaches in Latin America and enables identifying patterns that explain the lack of integration of women and youth into the labour market.
The neoliberal reforms in Maghreb countries have resulted in an imitative capitalistic structure that has hindered the integration of women and youth, leading to limited job access and education opportunities, an exacerbated state of gender inequality, and the undermining of labour protection rights.
Context
Thirty years on from their initiation, neoliberal policies have weakened Maghreb countries’ labour markets, leading to unanticipated forms of employment and deteriorating working conditions. These countries need to re-evaluate and revamp labour market reforms with ones that correspond better with their status quo and encompass an understanding of the local economic, political, and social structures to enable a sustainable, comprehensive, and fair integration of women and youth into the labour markets.
Ghana and Tunisia have often been framed as beacons of democracy in their respective regions. However, as Ghana’s democracy matured over decades, Tunisia’s experiment ultimately collapsed. This paper examines diverse factors shaping their paths, offering lessons on the risks of democratic backsliding.
