Strengthening the Tetouan Commune to promote entrepreneurship among women in vulnerable situations

  • Country: Morocco.
  • Location: Tetouan.
  • Duration: December 2025 to November 2026.
  • Participants: 80 unemployed women, mothers, in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability and risk of social exclusion, 15 members of the technical staff of the Municipality of Tetouan, 15 representatives of Civil Society Organizations of Tetouan, 5 companies from Tetouan.
  • Area of specialization: Vocational training and microenterprise, Governance.

Starting point

Morocco is undergoing a socioeconomic and political transformation, ratified by a new Constitution in 2011, which enshrines gender equality in the exercise of civil, political, economic, cultural, and environmental rights and freedoms. This commitment is contradicted by Morocco’s ranking in both the Human Development Index and the 2017 Gender Gap Report (an index of inequality between men and women worldwide), where it is ranked 136th out of 144 countries. Among the factors affecting vulnerable groups are the lack of specific legislation, problems with education and employment, limited political action and youth involvement, and the triple burden of work for women and girls.

Promoting a societal model in Tetouan that eliminates all forms of discrimination against women and girls has been a key focus of public and civil society initiatives in Morocco, aiming to ensure the effective fulfillment of their rights.

Following CODESPA’s collaboration with the Municipality of Tetouan since 2013 on development cooperation projects, a lack of comprehensive support services for women in extremely vulnerable situations has been identified. This includes their exclusion from employment and/or entrepreneurship opportunities, as well as the lack of support and effective protection for the rights of women who are victims of gender-based violence. To address these shortcomings comprehensively, the proposal aims to equip officials from the Municipality of Tetouan, representatives of civil society, and the private sector with the skills necessary to provide women with access to job training and/or self-employment opportunities, and to guarantee the rights of women who are victims of gender-based violence.

Objective

General Objective: To contribute to guaranteeing the enjoyment of economic and social rights for women in situations of extreme vulnerability, promoting their empowerment from a gender and human rights perspective in the city of Tetouan.

Specific Objective: To contribute to strengthening municipal public policies in the city of Tetouan, promoting entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for women in situations of extreme vulnerability.

What is the project about

The project aims to promote the fulfillment of the economic and social rights of Moroccan and sub-Saharan women in situations of extreme vulnerability by strengthening entrepreneurship and employment opportunities in the local market, and by fostering shared responsibility between public and private entities in the city of Tetouan. To achieve this, work will be carried out on two main components:

  • Strengthening the capacities of local governments, the Municipality of Tetouan, and civil society to mainstream gender justice in employment and entrepreneurship governance.
  • Promoting the empowerment and economic autonomy of women in situations of social exclusion through the development of income-generating activities, access to decent employment, and/or entrepreneurship.

This project has been conceived from a participatory approach. Its implementation prioritizes the development of rights from an inclusive perspective, where the voices of people at risk of exclusion effectively influence decision-making, and by creating the necessary channels for this.

Likewise, it seeks to foster joint action by promoting spaces for dialogue, participation, and coordination among public actors (the Municipality of Tetouan), the private business sector, civil society organizations (CSOs), and citizens to improve information, training opportunities, employment, and entrepreneurship for women in vulnerable and/or excluded situations, while integrating approaches of gender equity, a culture of peace, and equal opportunities.

Entities that support this project