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Rabat – Morocco’s National Human Rights Council’s (CNDH) morning session at the 2026 International Publishing and Book Fair (SIEL) offered a different kind of panel on Thursday.
Instead of experts and officials, children from southern Morocco stepped forward to speak about the place of Moroccan Sahrawi women in today’s society, grounding the discussion in lived realities rather than abstract debate.
The conversation transcended technical definitions of development to position the issue as one of participation, dignity, and access, with women at the center of that process.
Everyday realities shape the narrative
Representing the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region, the children presented short interventions that described how Moroccan Sahrawi women navigate social and professional spaces. They spoke about women who assume responsibility in offices, manage institutions, and take part in decision-making.
Their accounts drew from observation rather than theory. The image that emerged was one of gradual yet clear change, in which women claim space in public and professional life and contribute directly to shaping their communities.
Hassani culture as a living archive
The panel also turned to cultural expression. Poetry readings in the Hassani dialect introduced themes tied to memory, identity, and endurance. The tone remained direct, rooted in oral tradition, with each recitation carrying fragments of collective experience.
Short theatrical sketches followed.
Through these performances, children portrayed scenes that addressed women’s economic roles and social standing. Culture here did not stand apart from the discussion and served as a way to document and interpret transformation within society.
CNDH explains youth engagement at SIEL
On the sidelines of the event, Bouchra Taoufik, Director of the Promotion of Human Rights at the CNDH, told Morocco World News (MWN) that the initiative’s philosophy was to place children from the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region at the center of the program.
Taoufik explained that the session stemmed from a clear institutional choice to open space for younger voices. “In the context of the children’s morning session, as you have seen, the council of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region hosted today’s event. This initiative stems from our belief in the importance of encouraging participation and giving visibility to children within the framework of their rights,” she told MWN.
Taoufik stressed that the program gave children the opportunity to engage with multiple themes through artistic forms, particularly those rooted in their environment and collective memory.
“Children from the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region took part today through various artistic expressions that particularly addressed the issue of women and women’s empowerment in the Sahara, as well as the question of national memory, history, the Green March, and education,” she further noted.
She added that the approach relies on expression rather than formal discourse, allowing children to communicate in ways that feel natural to them. “As you know, this takes place within a framework of child interaction, where children express themselves best through artistic forms, allowing them to showcase their abilities. It also brings forward important themes this year, such as development.”
The session also served as a cultural exchange platform, she said, where heritage and identity take a shared space among young participants. “It was also an opportunity for children to share their Hassani heritage through poetry and poetic performances with other children,” Taoufik explained.
Through this initiative, the CNDH positioned children not only as participants but as active contributors to discussions on rights, memory, and social development, using cultural and artistic expression as the main channel of dialogue.
Development as participation, not abstraction
At the heart of the session stood the idea that development does not take shape without inclusion. The discussion presented women’s economic and political participation as a necessary condition for a more balanced society.
Speakers linked this participation to broader principles of equality and justice, echoing the spirit of the right to development as a lived reality rather than a distant framework.
By placing children at the center, the panel offered a perspective that felt grounded and accessible, showing how questions of women’s roles and social change take root early and continue to evolve across generations.
At SIEL 2026, the program extends beyond books and publishing to engage with central human rights questions. Panels, discussions, and cultural moments place issues such as equality, access, and participation at the heart of the event.
In this setting, literature does not stand apart from society; instead, it serves as a direct link to people’s lived experiences, where stories, language, and expression intersect with fundamental rights. Through this approach, the fair positions culture as a space where ideas about dignity, freedom, and social change take form and circulate.
