Morocco's Islamist-led government on Friday presented a new European Union-funded plan to promote women's rights and equality, but without earlier measures to legalize abortion and support single mothers.

The plan, which is funded with 45 million euros (about $58 million) from the EU, contains 150 measures to improve women's equality in the health and education sectors, and access to government employment, Minister of Women, Family and Social Development Bassima Hakkaoui said.

Moroccan women are certain to win at least 10 percent of parliament seats in polls on Friday, but the kingdom needs to deepen reforms to advance equality in the male-dominated politics, activists say.
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The issue of women in Parliament has returned to centre stage in Morocco following the country's recent legislative elections. In 2002, women were elected to 35 of the lower house of the Moroccan legislature's 325 seats; on September 7th, 2007, only 34 were selected. Only four women managed to transcend the local lists: Yasmina Baddou of the Istiqlal party, Latifa Jbabdi of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, independent candidate Fatiha Layadi, and Fatna Lkhail of the Popular Movement.