Morocco, Spain Sign Cooperation Protocol on Women, Youth Empowerment

13 October 2020 Printable Version

Rabat - Morocco and Spain signed, Tuesday in Rabat, an administrative protocol for bilateral cooperation with the aim of supporting the empowerment of over 3,000 women and young people through entrepreneurship in the area of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE).

The protocol, spanning over a period of 36 months, was signed by Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport and Social Economy, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Spain's Ambassador to Morocco Ricardo Diez-Hochleitner Rodriguez and by the representative of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Ignacio Martínez Boluda.

This cooperation project, which includes a 600,000 euro financial contribution from the AECID, targets women and young people with innovative projects in the regions of Casablanca-Settat, Souss-Massa, Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima and in the Eastern region.

It is part of the recovery plan of the SSE sector and it has precise, clear and achievable ambitions with a view of seeking new solutions to fight the Covid-19 effects, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport and Social Economy.

On this occasion, Fettah Alaoui said that the regions targeted have a rich potential in human and natural resources that can be further developed thanks to the SSE.

Promoting social and solidarity economy in these regions will contribute to job and wealth creation, social inclusion, sustainable development, equity and the empowerment of women and the youth, especially in rural areas, the minister explained, stressing that the project's added value consists in strengthening women's and youth capacities in order to promote activities for the production of goods and services, besides establishing a social economy-friendly system.

For his part, Spain's Ambassador to Rabat underlined that the agreement is part of the sustainability of the recommendations emanating from the previous 2015-2019 cooperation program contract between AECID and the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport and Social Economy.

The Spanish diplomat also praised the "impressive development" posted by Morocco in the area of social and solidarity economy, especially through the emergence of a large number of cooperatives in recent years.

This partnership agreement will bring together the capacities of the two parties to support the inclusive development process of women and the youth by promoting social and collective entrepreneurship.