Support and training for young women in vulnerable situations in Tetouan, Morocco.

  • Country: Morocco.
  • Location: Tetouan.
  • Duration: November 2020 to October 2021.
  • Participants: 25 women in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability and victims of violence.
  • Area of specialization: Vocational and micro-entrepreneurship training.

Starting point

The Tangier-Tetouan region is experiencing economic development, thanks to growing foreign investment. This is causing a rural exodus from less developed areas of Morocco, with the resulting uncontrolled population growth in the cities. In the most marginalized neighborhoods, people live in very precarious conditions.

The population has high illiteracy rates, young people are unprepared to meet the challenges of regional development, and jobs are low-skilled.

In the Moroccan education and training system, academic failure and the lack of alternative training systems are two critical issues. In this context, women’s vulnerability is heightened, as many are also victims of violence. This hampers their access to the labor market and condemns them to unstable, unsecured jobs, making it nearly impossible to escape this precarious situation.

Objective

Through this activity, the program aims to provide 25 women with training, employment, and income through an integrated vocational training system in pastry and catering aimed at job placement. This will enable them to access decent work, rebuild their lives, and achieve socioeconomic independence.

What is the project about

CODESPA is working on this project with local partner Al Amal, which is promoting the creation of a pastry shop with the goal of providing sheltered employment for women victims of violence and in situations of extreme socioeconomic vulnerability.

The project aims to contribute to the strengthening and business development of the participating women, focusing on the pastry business, boosting the production and sale of traditional Moroccan sweets and promoting access to new markets by improving product quality. Furthermore, training in COVID-19-related biosafety and hygiene protocols will allow the pastry shop to become a COVID-19-safe environment, thus increasing, in addition to ensuring the well-being of women, the attraction of the existing potential domestic and international tourism market.

The project also strengthens its skills in job search techniques and life skills aimed at direct integration into existing structures/workshops or in setting up and launching their own initiatives

Entities that support this project