Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review 
April 4, 2009

Public boarding schools help Moroccan girls continue education.
Text and photos by Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat 2009-03-20

An innovative boarding school programme in Morocco is reducing the delinquency rate for female students.

Girls living in Moroccan towns are five times more likely to remain in school as their rural peers. The national attendance rate is around 60%, but is only 16.5% for girls in isolated areas. Given that the distance between rural girls' homes and schools is the primary reason for the disparity, an innovative residential programme may be the solution to keeping girls in school for more than just six years of primary education, organisers recently told a Rabat forum.

The Dar Taliba de Qualite (girls' dormitories) initiative is proving to be a good model for partnership between the public sector and charitable groups. The idea is to provide lodging, educational support and a psychosocial enrichment programme specially designed for girls from remote areas so that they can complete their studies beyond primary school.

In 2005, the Entraide Nationale, the National Federation of Charity Associations (FNAB) and the ALEF project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) created the boarding schools to enable girls from the most isolated areas in the Kingdom to achieve educational success.

This initiative "enables women and girls, particularly in rural areas, to free themselves from marginalisation and illiteracy", Mohamed Belmahi, Secretary-General of the National Federation of Charity Associations (FNAB) explained Thursday (February 26th) at a Rabat conference held to showcase the programme's progress over the last 3 years.

Entraide Nationale Director Mohamed Talbi said Dar Taliba has proven itself to be "a successful model, aimed at encouraging girls' personal and social development".

Young beneficiaries of the programme also addressed the conference, offering moving accounts of their experiences. These girls, who never dreamed they would one day be able to continue their studies right to the end, now display unprecedented ambition. They have newfound confidence in their abilities and dream of conquering the labour market in the years to come.

Gone are the days when they could only see their futures in terms of marriage.
Sara, a 15-year-old teenager, freely admits that without Dar Taliba she would have had to abandon school long ago. The same goes for little Khadija, who, thanks to the help given by Dar Taliba, has been able to improve her educational level and thus guarantee her success.

Amina, 14, can now express herself with great ease in both Arabic and French. She does not hesitate to approach people, whereas two years ago she was shy and could never get a clear message across. Bursting with energy, she tells Magharebia that the past is forgotten and she is now ready to think about a promising future.

"I've learned to tackle difficulties and to look at life in a different way. A human being is nothing without learning and without culture. And I expect to succeed," she says, her eyes sparkling with intelligence.

"My parents intend to support me, having seen the change in my personality, even though at the start they had decided to marry me off. Unfortunately, that's not the case for other girls," she added.

Observers attribute the success of the Dar Taliba model to more than location and talented teachers. Psychosocial enrichment and extracurricular activities are also important to changing the girls' attitudes, explains Aziza Hmamouchi, the director of ALEF's educational component.

"We have encouraged pupils to become independent, opening them up to the world and to their creative and analytical capabilities. Their civic spirit is absolutely essential for successful social and economic integration," Hmamouchi says.

Government surveys show that the programme is working: the school drop-out rate in these establishments is less than 1%. The general pass rate for Dar Taliba students has almost doubled, from 43% in 2005-2006 to 84% in 2007-2008.

"These figures have nothing to do with luck," asserts Entraide Nationale Director Mohamed Talbi. "They can be explained by the participative approach involving all actors in these structures."

The interim Chargé d’Affaires at the United States embassy in Morocco, Robert Jackson, also sees the experiment as very positive. "This model backs up the programmes and projects introduced by Morocco as part of its work to combat school drop-out and to improve the quality of school education," he says.

These boarding schools are all the more important because they enable girls to be motivated to become "class leaders", adds ALEF project director Joshua Muskin. He feels that it is the efforts of the educators that set the Dar Taliba facilities apart from other institutions.

The ALEF pilot project started in 2005-2006 with just 90 girls in four boarding houses: Tighassaline (Khénifra province), Beni-Tajjit (Figuig province), Beni-Battaou (Khouribga province) and Tinjdad (Errachidia province). The programme was extended in 2006-2007 to ten Entraide Nationale Dar Talibas, reaching 1,090 girl beneficiaries. In 2007-2008, 16,000 young people benefited, with 212 social security establishments accommodating 16,000 boarders.

When the Dar Taliba initiative began, however, it was not easy convincing parents to send their daughters away from home to pursue an education. Statistics reflect a persistent problem: in rural areas, parents rarely consider letting their girls complete their studies beyond primary school.

Educators had to mount an immense effort to get the project off the ground. But three years on, these boarding houses have earned themselves a good reputation among the population.

Now, encouraging schooling for girls - particularly in rural areas – has become a priority for the national education ministry.

Boosted by the positive results and the experience of working with USAID, l'Entraide Nationale is planning to roll the programme out across its 774 social security establishments across the country, starting in 2009 with the Souss-Massa-Drâa region.

"Boarders are now starting to think about the future and to set themselves targets," teacher Meriam Begari tells Magharebia. "Some want to continue their studies as far as possible, and others want to learn a trade, particularly in craft or tourism." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/reportage/2009/03/2/reportage-01
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Emergency measures launched to improve Moroccan state schools.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia 2009-03-18

In response to widespread complaints over the state of Morocco's public schools, the government allocated 3 billion dirhams to school improvements over the next two years.

King Mohammed VI launched a nationwide programme Tuesday (March 17th) to refurbish Morocco's ailing schools. The three billion-dirham initiative, announced in Fez, is aimed at "improving conditions for pupils at state schools and the quality of community services, and also creating more sports facilities, green space and cultural activities within schools".

The government will refurbish 15,300 schools over a two-year period. Three hundred boarding schools will be renovated with modern equipment and all schools will be guaranteed electricity, sewage facilities and drinking water.

Education Minister Ahmed Akhchichine said the programme forms part of a 2009-2012 emergency plan aimed at speeding up the pace of reform within the education system. "The goal is to make schools more attractive, in order to restore people's confidence in Moroccan schools and help them fulfil their purpose," he commented.

The emergency plan was drawn up last year in response to complaints from parents and teachers about the state of the nation's schools.

Teacher Hamza Moulhim told Magharebia that the renovation programme will enable pupils to study in more favourable conditions. Schools' lack of necessary facilities harms children's education, he said. "Some schools, especially those in rural areas and on the outskirts of the big cities, lack basic amenities such as water and electricity. It's time to find ways of improving these terrible conditions."

Another teacher, Halima Baadi, said the refurbishment programme may have particular benefit for girls: "In the past, a lot of families in rural areas didn't send their daughters to school because they didn't even have toilets."

Hamid Ktiri, a bank manager, said the government needs to step in to save state schools, which are currently being shunned by the middle class. In its efforts to provide education for all, he argues, the government has neglected the quality of education.

"The level has fallen so low that people are now flocking to the private sector," Ktiri commented.
Karim Bertali has two children in a state school. He told Magharebia that if he had enough money, he would send them to a private school instead. "At state schools there is only a basic minimum of facilities for children," he said. "They're also so overcrowded that teachers can't focus on the needs of all children."

The Ministry of National Education says the government is determined to improve the quality of education provided by state schools, through material improvements and also by boosting administrators' skills in planning and management.

http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2009/03/18/feature-02
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Over 25,000 tuberculosis cases documented in 2008 in Morocco.
Rabat

Around 25,500 new cases of tuberculosis were documented in Morocco last year, despite a downward trend reported since 1996, a statement of the health ministry said on Tuesday. The figure, revealed on the World Tuberculosis Day (March 24) - celebrated this year under the theme "You Can Stop Tuberculosis, Join Us" - suggest that 70% of these cases, including 57% among men, are recorded mostly in big cities.

Taking care of TB patients may take between six and 18 months and medicines are distributed for free under medical supervision in 2600 urban and rural health centers, it said. The reduction of the disease incidence at national level stands at 2 to 3% yearly, the statement said, adding that for this pace to be speeded up, the ministry's 2008-2012 plan aims at cutting the incidence rate to 65 new cases per every 100,000 people against 85 cases in 2008.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around one third of the world population, that is 2 billion people, is infected by the mycobacterium tuberculosis, with over 8 million new cases documented every year. Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease which most commonly affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box2/over_25000_tubercul/view
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Education beyond the books: A recent visit to Morocco brings to light a common humanity
Chase Gunnell, The Daily Evergreen 02/25/2009 MARRAKESH, Morocco

No carefully crafted word or scenic photograph could do it justice. An oasis for the senses, Morocco captures your mind and tugs at your soul. Islamic prayer calls echo from mosques five times daily, mixing with the beat of African drums. The taste of kebabs, mint tea, honey and other more alien cuisines. The fragrant smell of incense and hashish, mixed with the scent of sweat, donkeys and motorbike exhaust. The sight of orange groves and golden minarets. The feel of the scorching desert sun overhead and dusty streets underfoot.

It is a place of blinding contrast. There is abject poverty in the market alleys and Ferraris parked outside the Royal Gardens. Women are covered head-to-toe in traditional Muslim dress, walking with men wearing Gucci jeans. Whole chickens are roasted over open flames and are eaten by hand, only blocks from KFC.

As a white American in Arabic Africa, to me, Morocco felt otherworldly. A place far beyond the familiar, marching to a very different beat. But it’s a beat that is entirely captivating. My Moroccan education began in the chaotic and crowed alleys of Djemaa el Fna, Africa’s largest marketplace. A giant square at the base of the Koutoubia Mosque, the Djemaa is an anthill of activity.

Wandering among the forceful hustling of orange juice sellers, kebab venders, snake charmers, fortune tellers and black market dealers with everything from fake designer brands to leopard skins, it’s a trial by fire. But one that leaves you wiser if you make it to the other side.

Adhan, the Islamic prayer call, rings out over the city every few hours. It’s beautiful when it’s not waking you up at 5 a.m. Observing a man dismount his bicycle in the middle of the sidewalk, remove his shoes, kneel facing Mecca and begin rigorously giving praise to Allah, I felt fortunate to experience a window into a religion grossly misunderstood by Western society.

Saturday, a bus trip to the Ouzoud waterfalls in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains brought a glimpse of Moroccan life beyond the city walls. Under snow-capped peaks, we passed sheep herders, olive groves, and Berber villages to a place of both astounding natural beauty and wrenching poverty. The falls themselves are one of the tallest in Africa, sending cascades of water – red with African dirt – into a gorge more than 100 meters deep. But nearby is a collection of vendors and beggars living off a trickle of tourist trade.

On our final day in Marrakesh, Tony – my traveling companion from WSU – and I choose to forgo the 80 Dirham (about $10) cab ride and walk to the airport far on the outskirts of town. Leaving Africa humbly on foot seemed fitting.

Trekking through the desert, down dusty streets and past herds of camels, I contemplated my experiences in Morocco – seeing the Arab and African world up close, living meagerly, haggling for every meal, and immersing ourselves in a place so vastly different from the one we call home. It was an unparalleled cultural education.

The U.S. is at war in two Muslim countries. Our soldiers are dying in distant lands, fighting people who seem foreign and out of touch with our Western reality. We see terrorist attacks on the nightly news and cringe at an entire culture. Truly capturing Morocco is beyond my skill as a writer. But if there’s one thing I could impart from my journey, it’s that underneath the veil of culture, religion, and dress, the people here are as human as you or me.

Travel brings one indisputable truth: Arab, African, European, American, we are all citizens of humanity. We can recognize our differences – they make life exciting – but we must learn to celebrate this universal union before petty contrasts rip us further apart.
http://www.dailyevergreen.com/story/27890
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Morocco to upgrade mountain town for $ 14.6mln.
Imouzzer Kandar

A partnership agreement on the urban upgrading of the mountainous city of Imouzzer Kandar (north) for the period 2009-2011 was signed Thursday under chairmanship of King Mohammed VI. Under this agreement, integrated projects, worth 121,5 million dirhams (14.6 million dollars), will be carried out in urban development, sports infrastructure, creation of an economic activities area, and construction of a waste disposal network.

It also provides for enhancing public lighting and road network, and creating green spaces.
The king later inaugurated a hostel for young girls in the municipality of Imouzzer Kandar, in the middle atlas mountain chain, 230 km east of Rabat. The hostel, worth about 1.66 million dirhams (200,000 dollars), provides accommodation and educational support to school girls.

It will then enable 50 young girls from poor rural families to pursue their studies in the region.
The king also enquired about a project to build and equip a mother hall meant to protect reproductive health.
A total of 114 projects were carried out in the province between 2005 and 2008, benefiting 79,000 people, at an overall investment of 58 million dirhams. They will promote income-generating activities and reinforce infrastructure.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box1/morocco_to_upgrade_m/view
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Alif, Baa, and other cultural pursuits.
By Safae El Yaaqoubi Rabat

A lot of Americans are increasingly interested in learning about Morocco, its culture and languages. For some, the task is not quite simple, for others, the "cultural sejour" turns out to be a life-changing experience.

American...NOT!
From afar, Rachel Markowitz seems like those tourists you see in Rabat's downtown or Medina: a typical American with her fair skin and red hair. Once she starts speaking Moroccan Arabic with quite a good accent, the confusion begins!

Rachel is one of the many Americans scattered all around Rabat and Morocco learning about its culture and languages. Upon finishing her BA in political science from the University of Texas at Dallas, Rachel got a Fulbright grant to study the Arabic language and Moroccan culture.

“Once I start speaking Arabic, people freak out, because they cannot get the picture and voice together.. It is pretty much confusing to them to see an American speaking pure Moroccan slang and even cursing!!” she enthusiastically added.

Darija or Fous’ha?
The Fous’ha (standard Arabic/Darija (Moroccan colloquial Arabic) dichotomy is an interesting issue for many, especially Americans who find it difficult to deal with the two at the same time.

“The linguistic situation in Morocco and North Africa is very unique, as there are two language varieties existing side by side: classical Arabic and colloquial Moroccan dialect,” said Daoud Casewit, Executive Secretary of the Moroccan American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchanges (MACECE), which administers programs like the one Rachel is involved in.

Americans who come to Morocco have to deal with this dilemma: if you learn fouh’sa, it is hard to use it with “bakkal” (grocer) for instance. But if you are into social sciences you go for Darija but then again you cannot understand the news… you have to make a choice according to your objectives, Casewit said.

Casewit is an American who converted to Islam in the 70’s in Rabat. Fluent in Arabic, he learnt classical Arabic, Coranic pronunciation and pre-Islamic poetry. He lived in many Arab countries including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, before moving to Morocco, where he currently lives. Casewit said his early experience in Morocco is similar to many young Americans who think Morocco is a copycat of other Arab countries and then realize it is not:
“I went once to the pharmacy to get an antibiotic. It took the pharmacist a long time to get what I wanted, because I was using the Arabic name (moudad hayawi) and after much confusion, he finally got it: ‘oh antibiotique you should have said so!!’ My reaction was: aren’t you Arab! What is wrong with you!!”

Casewit said he finally understood that the northern African country was a different case and that doesn’t make it less Arab than other Arab countries.

Learning Arabic in Morocco?
Morocco is often perceived as not being the best place to learn Arabic. It is a country where other dimensions share its identity: Berber, French, and Spanish.

In the Arab world, Morocco is referred to as “Al Maghreb Al Aqsa” which means the furthest point in the west, Casewit said.

Many people argue that Morocco is the least country to represent Arabic compared to other Arab countries.
This perspective is not shared by Language Coordinator & Instructor at the Center for Cross Cultural Learning (CCCL) in Rabat, Bouchra Sahimdan. “Some Arab countries argue that Morocco doesn’t provide the adequate environment for learning Arabic, because of the strong presence of French and Berber, but then again the dialect does exist in other Arab countries. They don’t speak 100% Arabic either,” she argued.

Morocco is a country where learning can be easier and less challenging thanks to its openness than many other countries, said Saadia Maski, a MACECE program officer in charge of the US fulbright grantees in Morocco. “I had many Americans who experienced life in other Arab countries and who confirmed that they did not regret shifting to Morocco for the tolerant and laid back mind set of its people,” Maski said.

The new thing, Maski said, is the introduction by the U.S. State Department of up to six months of intensive Arabic study before the commencement of their normal grants.

“Launched in 2006 under the name ‘the Critical Language enhancement Award CLEA’, this program aims to increase the number of Americans learning lesser-known foreign languages of strategic importance including Arabic,” she went on to say.

Learning in the heart of the Medina
The Center for Cross Cultural Learning (CCCL) is located in a 19th century-old building in the heart of Rabat old medina. The mouth-watering smell of authentic Moroccan food and the fine Moroccan zellij contrast with the fair-skinned young Americans who choose CCCL to learn Arabic and Moroccan culture.

Founded in 1995, CCCL is a private institution involved in promoting Moroccan culture, Arabic language and intercultural learning through a variety of cultural and educational activities. Part of this institution’s activity is the study-abroad programs from U.S. universities, which includes young Americans interested in the Moroccan culture and Arabic language.

"It is a pleasure to teach Arabic for people who are aware of how challenging the language is and it is amazing how the evolution happens,” said Sahimdan, who started her career as an Arabic and Berber teacher.

“It is a real challenge for both students and teachers. I do believe that Arabic and Darija can come across as hard in pronunciation, not to mention the alphabet.”

Cultural Immersion and experiential learning seem mantras repeated by most Moroccan institutions teaching Arabic and Moroccan culture. “The idea is to put learning about a culture or a language into a context,” said Oussama Addouli, a MACECE intern who spent a year in the U.S. teaching Arabic.

“It is like being a part of this culture as you take a part of it,” she said with a broad smile.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box4/alif_baa_and_other/view
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'Morocco has opportunity to offer high-quality goods at lower cost', OBG.
London

The London-based Oxford Business Group (OBG) pointed on Thursday to the kingdom's economic achievements, saying that "at a time when European economies are contracting, Morocco has the opportunity to offer high-quality goods at a lower cost." "Morocco's industrial ambitions received a boost in January 2009 when King Mohammed VI launched the construction of Tanger-Med industrial park," the British think-tank said in a report titled "Morocco: Preparing for Global Stability."

"With strong trade ties to a diverse group of nations, including free trade agreements (FTAs) with the US, Europe and neighbouring countries, the country hopes to ride out the current recession by building infrastructure to support renewed trade levels in the future and by relying on consistent revenue earners, such as phosphates and derivates," OBG underlined.

"When fully completed in 2012, Tanger-Med will be among Africa's largest ports, with a container handling capacity of 8.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The port will greatly increase Morocco's profile as an industrial destination and serve as a logistics centre for the whole Mediterranean region," it added.

"The zones that were established in 2002 have proved successful, with the Tangier Free Zone home to some 400 businesses and 40,000 jobs, while the Melloussa Free Zone, where the Renault-Nissan alliance plans to develop an automobile industrial complex by 2010, is attracting private investment worth 1.3 billion Euros and generating 36,000 jobs."

"The projects surrounding the port are some of the most high profile, but there are many other infrastructure programmes that are being developed. France, in particular, has been a strong supporter of Moroccan industry and is its largest trading partner," said the economic body.

In addition to successfully advocating for Morocco to be awarded "advanced status" for EU trading, France signed several bilateral accords that will provide infrastructure financing, according to OBG.

France has also approved 86 million Euros in grants to the North African country to study the feasibility of a high-speed rail link between the port of Tangiers and Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, the report underlined, saying that "industrial activity is a significant contributor to Morocco's GDP, usually between 25% and 35% depending on the performance of the agricultural sector."

Investors have found a number of opportunities, particularly in fertiliser and phosphates production, the think thank underlined, pointing that Phosphates and derivates have proven to be a lucrative segment, with sales reaching 51.4 billion Dirhams in 2008, an increase of more than 50% from 22.3 billions in 2007.

The strong growth rate is impressive given that Morocco's major export markets in Western Europe have been hit by the downturn.

"Still, with valuable resources such as phosphates and a government committed to stimulus-spending on infrastructure projects, the kingdom will likely maintain its position as an important regional trader and find ways to sustain itself until demand from the Eurozone rebounds," said the report.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/box5/morocco_has_opportu/view
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Morocco, UNDP reveal 2009 joint plan of action.
Rabat

The Morocco-United Nations Development Program (UNDP) plan of action for 2009 was announced at a meeting Thursday in Rabat. The plan of action that is part of a joint cooperation program for 2007-2011 explores challenges pertaining to poverty, gender, environment, good governance, human rights, and HIV. It also takes into account several national issues, including Morocco's initiative for human development (INDH), human rights projects, development strategies and administrative reforms, and tackles the principles contained in the “Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness.”

Secretary-General of Morocco’s Foreign Ministry, Youssef Amrani, said this new round of co-operation is the result of "exemplary and special" bilateral co-operation. It also reflects shared views on the fundamental goals of United Nations operational activities, especially the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Amrani added.

The Morocco/UNDP cooperation program requires commitment to ensure the efficiency of projects, through building up national capacities and focussing on gender parity and human rights,” he explained. UN representative in Rabat, Mourad Wahba, stressed the need to "move from a simple approach to a real impact on human development in the country." He also stressed the importance of carrying out a “tighter” assessment of the program results and of managing the financial and operational aspects of those programmes in the “best” way.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_undp_reveal/view
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Morocco to integrate reproductive health in new aid environment.
Rabat

A series of priority measures to integrate reproductive health in the new aid environment has been developed as part of the health policy in Morocco, Health Minister, Yasmina Baddou, said here Monday. The government hopes to cut mother and child mortality rate, strengthen family planning programs, fight STDs and AIDS, she said at the opening of a regional workshop on reproductive health and the new aid environment.

The early diagnosis of uterine and breast cancer and opening hospital units to take care of women victims of violence, are also among the main actions to be implemented in this regard, Baddou added. The Ministry's strategy for 2008-2012 aims to overhaul the sector, provide more access to health services and set up a National Action Plan focusing on the health of the mother and the child.

The director of the regional office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for Arab States, Hafedh Chekir said the UN body plans, under the new aid environment, to work with its partners to integrate reproductive health in development priorities. The quality of health services and the availability of medicines should be a priority in the programs of reproductive health, he added.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_to_integrate/view
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Lalla Hasnaa launches 'young reporters for the environment' 2008-2009 program.
Marrakech

Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Chairwoman of the Mohamed VI Foundation for the Protection of Environment, launched the program "Young reporters for the environment" for 2008-2009 in the Koutoubia high school in Marrakech, center. The program, launched in Europe in 1990 by the Environmental Education Foundation (EEF) aims to raise high school students' awareness about several issues related to the environment.

The Mohamed VI Foundation for the Protection of Environment, which joined EEF in 2002, has decided to set up this program in over 500 Moroccan high schools, benefiting 7,500 students whose works have been internationally awarded. Lalla Hasna chaired a meeting of young reporters on the environment relating to the protection of forest resources, and the ways to conduct journalistic fieldwork.

Information were given to the princess on the Koutoubia high school, which was built in 1947, and on several school clubs devoted to the environment, health, and human rights.http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/lalla_hasnaa_launche/view
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Morocco says women participation in productive activities 'necessary'
United Nations

Morocco's Ambassador to the UN, Mohamed Loulichki said on Friday the participation of women in all productive activities is "inevitable and necessary." Morocco advocates the opinion that "the full participation and the men-women partnership are necessary and inevitable in any productive activity," Loulichki told the 53rd UN commission on the status of women late Friday.

The diplomat said the poor representation of women in the public life impacts negatively the economic growth and the fight against poverty in the world. He stressed that Morocco is confident of the necessity to attach greater importance to gender issues in the fields of action of the UN, "because today's challenges of stereotypes and prejudices are our collective duty."

He noted that Morocco has made significant efforts in sharing responsibilities between men and women, adding that the north African country had undertaken coordination and pro-active actions aimed to encourage mainstreaming in the economic and social fields.

He recalled, in this respect, the national strategy for gender equity, and the integration of the gender dimension in elaborating and analyzing national budgets, which helped the country take up the stakes of guaranteeing women’s access to the public life.

The diplomat also stressed the promulgation of the new family code, the nationality code, and the recent lifting of the country’s reservations on the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

On the global spread of HIV/AIDS, Loulichki said the problems needs the mobilization and involvement of all stakeholders, including governments, the private sectors, the civil society and households. He deemed that augmenting the financial assistance and emergency measures are the only way to attain the objective of providing access to prevention and treatment against HIV/AIDS by 2010. http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_says_women_p/view
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Morocco invested in social development to combat poverty, conference.
Paris

Director of the Agency for Social Development (ADS), Mohamed Najib Guedira said Morocco has invested in social development to uproot poverty through programs designed according to a participative approach involving public authorities, representative institutions, civil society, and the private sector.

Speaking during a conference held in Paris on "Social Development: a new alternative toward democratization in Morocco", Guedira said genuine development is based on the social and human capital, noting that democratizing the country can only be achieved through social development and improving the lives of citizens. He said capacity strengthening programs are of paramount importance as they endow local players with the necessary means and skills to manage their own development projects and programs.

ADS, he said has set up 16 regional coordination units throughout the country to enquire about citizens' concerns and woes, which has positively contributed to development projects within a private-public partnership.

The conference was also market by the participation of Najat Rochdi, Deputy Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) who highlighted Morocco's achievements in social and economic development, democratic governance, and combating poverty and exclusion. She also said UNDP and ADS are collaborating in several programs pertained to education, gender, and Anti-desertification.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_invested_in/view
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Morocco went a long way in promoting women's rights, minister.
Rabat

Morocco has made significance progress in promoting the rights of women, fostering the culture of gender equality, and encouraging more women to access decision-making positions, Minister of Social Development, Family, and Solidarity, Nouzha Skalli, said on Friday. Speaking to MAP on the occasion of International Women's Day celebrated on March 8, the minister said making more changes possible on the matter depends on pooling the efforts of all the parties involved, notably NGOs, and the media, which should work harder to change the simplistic stereotypes they promote about women.

The Moroccan woman has accessed leadership position in various fields, which used to be exclusive to men, Skalli said. She recalled that Morocco withdrew its reservations on the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women in addition to other achievements such as the Family and Nationality Codes.

Other progressive steps made by Morocco in this regard also include devising a gender-based approach in making budgets, the National Charter to promote a positive image of women in the media as well the nomination of seven women ministers and the presence of 24 others in Parliament, the Moroccan official went on to say.

According to Skalli, addressing the issue of women requires protecting them against all forms of violence, and backing the efforts of the NGOs concerned. She recalled a number of measures to protect women from gender-based violence by mainly setting up a computerized data system on violence against women and a toll-free phone number to reach out to women in distress and providing them with psychological assistance.

The minister also stressed the need for further involvement of women in the political sphere, especially local political representation. “Women’s representation in local collectivities reached 0.56% only,” she noted. Morocco, Skalli underlined, is resolute to integrate the gender approach in all of its development programs and projects with the aim to foster equality of men and women and eliminate all kinds of obstacles hindering women progress and integration into society.
http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/social/morocco_went_a_long/view
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