According to data presented during a forum on the theme “Women’s entrepreneurship in rural areas and human development”, recently organized by the province of El Hajeb in partnership with the Initiative d’El Hajeb association which manages the platform provincial youth, on the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women, 175 projects were also approved, including 49 businesses run by women, for a total cost of approximately 14.3 million dirhams (MDH), including a contribution of 9 MDH from the INDH.
18 projects benefiting 31 cooperatives were also supported, including 8 women’s cooperatives, with a total of 310 cooperators, as part of the “improvement of income and support for the social and solidarity economy” axis.
These projects concern the valorization of aromatic plants, beekeeping, the production and marketing of honey, the valorization of fruits, the solidarity marketing of craft and local products for a total cost of approximately 5.6 MDH, to which the INDH contributed approximately 3 MDH.
As part of improving the employability of young people, 450 beneficiaries, including 120 women, were supported and trained on themes related to the preparation of a professional project, oral interview techniques, as well as qualifying training in the areas of agricultural services, solar panel maintenance, forklift driving, fruit tree pruning techniques, e-marketing and photography.
This forum, organized in coordination with the Ait Boubidmane Education and Training Center, was an opportunity to mobilize civil society and the various local stakeholders in the province of El Hajeb around initiatives and projects. economic empowerment of women, as well as capitalizing on experiences in the field of support, training and financing, and the different approaches to supporting women’s businesses in the province.
The event, which saw the participation of more than 50 project leaders, also gave rise to awareness workshops on the importance of professional training and support, the legal framework of cooperatives and professional organizations, their role in launching local dynamics to promote local products and their constant effort for the economic and social integration of rural women.
Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of the social and solidarity economy in rural and mountainous areas.