Salé: Launch of the African Network for the Empowerment of Women

This structure aims to promote the socio-economic empowerment of African women through permanent partnership relations between African women’s associations and joint advocacy efforts in favor of women’s rights and sustainable development across the continent.

In addition to “promoting effective coordination of local, regional, and continental initiatives within a framework of integration, innovation, and social impact,” this initiative will enable the duplication and adaptation of UNFM’s flagship programs to African contexts, notably the concepts of the Attamkine Academy, Douar Attamkine, and socio-economic empowerment centers for women and girls.

In her address, the Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration, and Family, Naima Ben Yahya, affirmed that the creation of this Network constitutes a key lever for the empowerment of African women, contributing to the achievement of sustainable and inclusive economic and social development. She emphasized that “African women are not only actors of development but also pillars of family cohesion and social stability.”

Ms. Ben Yahya noted that the African Forum for the Empowerment of Women provides an opportunity to reaffirm commitment to women’s empowerment issues, assess progress and resilience in various fields, identify challenges, and determine ways to overcome them. She highlighted her ministry’s strategy for women’s economic integration, particularly through the Women’s Economic Empowerment Program, which aims to facilitate access to the labor market for women and girls in vulnerable situations and for project holders, develop their entrepreneurial capacities, and strengthen their professional skills.

For his part, the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills, Younes Sekkouri, stressed that the empowerment of women and youth must be addressed through a socio-economic approach that ensures social justice. He emphasized the need for more effective involvement of civil society in economic empowerment initiatives to guarantee active participation of women in various sectors.

In this regard, the Minister noted that his department, in coordination with various stakeholders, has implemented innovative programs in vocational training and professional development that open new horizons for women and young people, particularly in rural areas, helping them access the labor market and reintegrate into the economic system. He also mentioned efforts to reintegrate social groups that have dropped out of school or left their jobs.

The Secretary of State in charge of Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Lahcen Saâdi, highlighted the vital role of the social and solidarity economy sector in empowering women and strengthening their capacities, enabling them to assert themselves and effectively contribute to the development of societies. He noted that Morocco is considered a “pioneering model” in the field of social and solidarity economy.

Mr. Saâdi added that the partnership between the Secretariat of State and the UNFM, through various projects and initiatives such as support for cooperatives and success stories in the processing of local products, represents a successful model of cooperation in this domain.

The Attorney General of the King at the Court of Cassation and President of the Public Prosecution, Hicham Balaoui, highlighted the role of the Public Prosecution in women’s empowerment, particularly through the territorial protocol for assisting women victims of violence, stemming from the Marrakech Declaration.

Mr. Balaoui explained that the Public Prosecution has worked alongside other signatories to adopt a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of this protocol, noting that standardized forms are drawn up annually based on specific criteria to measure women’s satisfaction with judicial, medical, and social interventions.

He also underlined the aspects of cooperation between the Public Prosecution and the UNFM, notably the activation of the partnership under the “Always With You” (Kolonamaak) platform, dedicated to collecting complaints from women victims of violence. He highlighted the Public Prosecution’s openness to innovative women-led initiatives, its promotion of a culture of innovation and leadership among women, and its commitment to monitoring initiatives that promote women’s empowerment and protection from all forms of violence.

For her part, the President of the Group of African Ambassadors’ Spouses in Morocco (GEAAM), Nicole Mokolo Mangaya, stressed that the creation of the African Network for the Empowerment of Women contributes to the implementation of the recommendations of the Beijing Declaration and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

She added that this Network serves as a space for exchange, cooperation, and action in service of the African continent, reaffirming GEAAM’s commitment to supporting, through concrete initiatives, the capacity-building and full participation of African women in the social, economic, and cultural development of the continent.

Along the same lines, the Vice-President of the National Union of Moroccan Women (UNFM), Amina Oufroukhi, stated that the launch of the African Network for the Empowerment of Women is part of the Union’s historical dynamic of cooperation and partnership with African women’s associations. She highlighted the “distinguished position of the UNFM as a pioneering national actor and an institution with regional and international influence.”

She noted that the organization of this forum constitutes a strategic milestone, inseparable from the profound transformations taking place in Morocco in the promotion of women’s rights and its openness to the African continent. She explained that this two-day meeting fits within the Union’s overall vision aimed at promoting equality and social justice through operational programs that take into account women’s specific needs and respond to their aspirations in education, vocational training, economic empowerment, and social support.

The opening session of the African Forum for the Empowerment of Women, held under the theme “Empowering African Women: A Pillar of Social Justice and Sustainable Transformation of the Continent,” was marked by the signing of framework partnership agreements between the UNFM and GEAAM to strengthen cooperation in promoting women’s empowerment across the continent.

Editorial team/le7tv