HANAN HARITE

Morocco- The Cooplus Association has started a project called “Links of Solidarity” in Temara, a coastal city in Morocco, to promote women’s economic empowerment. “The project offers vocational training workshops to women,” said Fatima Mazil, project coordinator at the Cooplus Association and the Link of Solidarity project.

 ‘The workshops are important to improve women’s social status’

 The vocational training workshops contribute to women earning a sustainable income, said Fatima Mazil. “Women attending the workshops learn how to run their businesses with small capital. At the vocational training workshops, women learn how to sew and design. The workshops are important tools to empower women and improve their social status.”

‘Women will be successful’

Women have a love and passion for handicrafts, Fatima Mazil noted, adding, “We do our best to develop their ideas to produce innovative products that are different from those available in the Moroccan market. The association works to promote women’s economic empowerment and support them to market their products. The women, who benefit from the project, will be able to enter global markets and be successful.”

‘Women will be able to market their products all over the world’

Fatna Afid, a Moroccan human rights activist and trade unionist, believes that the activities carried out by the Cooplus Association contributes to the economic empowerment of Moroccan women. “The project started by the association gives an opportunity to women to learn how to market their products collectively. The women will market their products not only in local markets but also online markets. Thanks to the project, women will be able to market their products all over the world. In addition to promoting women’s economic empowerment, the project also gives an opportunity to women to develop themselves and have an independent economy.”

‘What is needed is self-confidence’

NGOs play an important role in promoting women’s economic empowerment, Fatna Afid stressed.

“Climate change has caused some women to lose their jobs. Women working in the agriculture sector experience the greatest impacts of climate change. Due to the impacts of climate change, women look for an alternative to earn a living; they learn how to sew to earn a living. Women are creative and the Links of Solidarity project supports women to achieve significant success. Moroccan women work with women refugees and migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, Mali and Senegal to combine their culture with different cultural aspects to create something new and unique. Today, women face challenges that they must overcome. What is needed is self-confidence, independence and the courage to enter global markets.”