Hennou Allali
Moroccan physician, politician and activist
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Hennou Allali (Arabic: هنو العلالي; 1941/1942 – 3 January 2026) was a Moroccan physician, politician, and human rights activist. She is widely recognized as the first female gynecologist-obstetrician in the history of Morocco.[1] She played a pioneering role in national family planning policies and served as a high-ranking member of the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS).[2]
Hennou Allali | |
|---|---|
| هنو العلالي | |
| Born | 1941 or 1942 |
| Died | 3 January 2026 (aged 83–84) Morocco |
| Education | University of Montpellier |
| Occupations | Physician, politician, human rights activist |
| Known for | First female gynecologist in Morocco |
| Political party | Party of Progress and Socialism |
| Spouse | Abdelaziz Maamar |
Education and medical career
Allali was born in the early 1940s. She pursued her medical studies in France at the University of Montpellier, specializing in gynecology and obstetrics.[3] Upon returning to Morocco in the 1960s, she began her career in public hospitals, contributing significantly to the modernization of maternity services.
In 1971, she was a founding member of the Moroccan Association for Family Planning (AMPF). She served for many years as the director of the "Les Orangers" Maternity Hospital in Rabat. Throughout her career, she was an expert in reproductive health, representing Morocco in several international medical forums.[4]
Political and human rights activism
Allali was a prominent figure in Moroccan left-wing politics. She joined the Party of Liberation and Socialism (which later became the PPS) and made history as the first woman to reach the party's Political Bureau.[5]
In the mid-1980s, she co-founded the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women (ADFM) in 1985, an organization that led the struggle for the reform of the Mudawana (Family Code). She was also a member of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), where she focused on social and economic rights and transitional justice.[6]
Honors
For her contributions to medicine and public service, she was decorated by King Mohammed VI with the Royal Order of Merit. She was also honored multiple times by the CNDH as an icon of the Moroccan feminist movement.[7]
