Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, President of the National Union of Moroccan Women (UNFM), chaired, Wednesday in Rabat, the ceremony to celebrate International Women’s Day.
After visiting the UNFM’s “Innovation 4 Her” laboratory, which offers a space for creation and collective intelligence to generate innovative solutions to women’s rights issues, particularly around digital and digital arts, HRH Princess Lalla Meryem followed a demonstrative presentation of digital solutions relating to sexual harassment developed by public agencies, the UNFM and young Hackathon creators.
A sensitization video on sexual harassment and the importance of the economic participation of Moroccan women was then screened with a view to socio-cultural and behavioral change.
Princess Lalla Meryem chairs the ceremony to celebrate International Women's Day pic.twitter.com/JGhJahbyNm
— المغرب الآن Maghreb Alan (@maghrebalaan) March 9, 2023
In a speech for the occasion, Mr. Luis Mora, Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund, hailed the enlightened vision of HM King Mohammed VI, who paid the utmost attention to the promotion of the rights of women and girls, whose situation has continued to evolve in various fields, stressing that thanks to the efforts made by HM the King, Moroccan women have acquired emancipation and empowerment and gender and spatial vulnerabilities have been significantly reduced.
He also praised the avant-garde action both at national and international level of HRH Princess Lalla Meryem, which is part of the promotion of the effectiveness of fundamental rights and sustainable development in Morocco, particularly in terms of health and dignity of women and young girls, adding that this courageous action to highlight the problem of sexual harassment of women and girls, which in most countries falls under the sphere of the unspoken and social taboo, represents once again an example of this universalist vision of Her Royal Highness, as well as her leadership for the cause of women’s rights in Morocco and worldwide.
Mr. Mora also highlighted the launch of this national system for the fight against sexual harassment, the first of its kind in Morocco, in the Arab and African region, noting that this initiative reflects the strong involvement and mobilization stakeholders to provide innovative solutions and operational and concrete responses to the phenomenon of violence against women and girls, including sexual harassment.
At the same time, Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem chaired the signing ceremony of two partnership agreements between the public and private, economic and institutional sectors.
The first agreement relates to the fight against sexual harassment in public and private professional and economic environments and to the improvement of working conditions for women in rural and urban areas.
It was signed by Mr. Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, Mr. Chakib Alj, President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises and Ms. Naima Acherkouk, of the UNFM.
The second agreement concerns technological innovation and local action in the service of the fight against sexual harassment. It was signed by Mr. El Hassan Daki, King’s Attorney General at the Court of Cassation, President of the Public Ministry, Mr. Chakib Benmoussa, Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Mrs. Aawatif Hayar, Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and the Family, Ms Ghita Mezzour, Minister Delegate in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform and Ms Naima Acherkouk, from the UNFM.
This ceremony was marked by the awarding by His Royal Highness of the “Lalla Meryem Prize for innovation and excellence” to the three carriers of innovative projects from the peri-urban and rural environment.
The theme chosen for this event, namely “sexual harassment”, is part of the social and humanist commitment of HRH Princess Lalla Meryem in favor of Moroccan women.
This pioneering and unifying action demonstrates the attachment and concern that Her Royal Highness has for victimized and vulnerable women, by addressing the most taboo and harmful issues, in this case sexual harassment. It drives momentum and sets an example, by engaging stakeholders to go beyond the legal, administrative and strategic and to provide innovative solutions and partnership, operational and concrete responses.
This initiative is designed in line with the Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, establishing the promotion of female human capital as a major lever of national progress aimed at establishing gender balance and harmony and establishing the essential role and status of women in the dynamics of the country’s economic and social development, as underlined in the 2022 Speech from the Throne, with the leadership and avant-garde of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem as President of the UNFM and avant-garde defender of the cause of Moroccan women, and with the national efforts to establish the State as protector of women’s rights and the Kingdom’s international commitment to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Its objective is to contribute to national efforts to promote an economic, social and institutional environment conducive to the inclusion and development of women, as citizens and productive forces, and to socio-cultural change. and behavior towards women and to move from the perception of harassment as a minor phenomenon to a major phenomenon, as well as to equip women and actors in the field and in companies to counter the phenomenon.
Upon her arrival at the ceremony venue, HRH Princess Lalla Meryem reviewed a section of the Auxiliary Forces which paid honours, before being greeted by Mr. El Hassan Daki, Mr. Chakib Benmoussa, Mr. Younes Sekkouri, Ms. Aawatif Hayar, Ms. Ghita Mezzour, Mr. Luis Mora and Mr. Chakib Alj.
Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem was also greeted by Mr. Mohamed Yacoubi, wali of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, governor of the prefecture of Rabat, Mr. Rachid El Abdi, president of the regional council, Mrs. Asmaa Rhlalou, president of the municipal council of Rabat, and Mr. Abdelaziz Drouich, president of the prefectural council.
With MAP
