Project profile — Economic Empowerment of Women in Morocco’s Argan Sector

• Morocco (100.00%)

• Democratic participation and civil society:
Democratic participation and civil society (15150) (20.00%)
Women's rights organisations and movements, and government institutions (15170) (40.00%)
• Agriculture: Agricultural co-operatives (31194) (40.00%)

• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)

The purpose of this project is to enhance the economic empowerment of women in the argan sector of the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve, thereby contributing to sustainable economic growth in Morocco. Project activities include: (1) capacity building, training and support for women’s co-operatives and women entrepreneurs; (2) increasing the competitiveness of the private sector and co-operatives by using innovative marketing techniques, consolidating and pooling resources for the collection and storage of raw materials, and tracking the resource; (3) enhancing market access through the preparation of international market studies and support for research and innovation; and (4) institutional strengthening of stakeholders in the argan sector. The project helps reduce gender-specific barriers and benefits 12,000 women directly through increased productivity or job opportunities. It also benefits up to 100,000 people indirectly (including men, women and children in targeted regions) through engagement and awareness activities. In addition, these outcomes have an impact on the population as a whole, as the argan sector plays an important role in the livelihoods of an estimated 2.2 million people.

The expected results of this project include: (1) a reduction in gender bias in the argan sector; (2) empowered women’s entrepreneurship in the sustainable development of argan; and (3) a reduction in cultural and social attitudes affecting women’s economic decision-making in the argan sector.

Results achieved as of March 2023 include: (1) accelerated implementation of the revised gender equality strategy; (2) organized 24 financial education workshops for members of 26 cooperatives; (3) institutionalized the gender approach within the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la filière de l'argane (Fifargane); (4) strengthened the capacities of FIFARGANE's Gender and Social Commission; (5) supported the Agence nationale de dévelopement des zones oasiennes et de l'arganier (ANDZOA) in implementing gender-sensitive budgeting; (6) supported two applied scientific research projects, namely Economic valorization of by-products from the crushing of argan seeds and Nutritional enrichment of argan oil with phytonutrients from aromatic and medicinal plants; and (7) finalized the implementation of a system to monitor raw material availability and resource preservation.

• Proactive disclosure