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Join on Telegram Rabat – Princess Lalla Meryem gave out scholarships to girls in secondary school and to high school graduates on Sunday during an International Women’s Day celebration.
The “Lalla Meryem Scholarships” are for girls from underprivileged areas, especially outside of cities. The scholarships, an initiative of the National Union of Moroccan Women (UNFM), aim to keep girls in school in an effort to prevent school drop-outs.
The recipients of secondary school scholarships are ages 13-18. Young women aged 17-25 can receive scholarships to pursue higher education.
Lalla Meryem presided over the ceremony at the historic Bahia Palace in Marrakech, Maghreb Arab Press reported. The minister delegate for higher education and scientific research, Driss Ouaouicha, presented the scholarships.
During the ceremony, the chair of UNFM’s ethics committee, Amina Oufroukhi, introduced the Marrakech Declaration 2020.
The declaration is a commitment by several government ministries to fight violence against women, care for victims of gender violence, prevent sexist stereotypes, and promote non-violence against women.
On March 8, 2021, a council will evaluate the results of the Marrakech Declaration.
Four government ministers signed the declaration: Minister of Education Said Amzazi, Minister of Health Khalid Ait Taleb, Minister of Youth and Sports El Hassan Abyaba, and Minister of Solidarity Jamila El Moussali.
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The ceremony also highlighted “kolona maak” (We are all with you), a platform and app for listening to women’s stories. UNFM and the public prosecutor’s office launched the platform to offer support and guidance for vulnerable women.
“Kolona maak” is available day and night for women to bring grievances and be directed to the relevant service: Police, prosecutors, gendarmerie, or UNFM reception centers.
The platform also offers professional assistance on topics such as employment, training, income-generating projects, and entrepreneurship.
UNFM also launched the Lalla Meryem Prize for Innovation and Excellence to honor women aged 20-40 in Morocco’s 12 regions who have developed creative initiatives to better their societies. Winners of the prize will receive support for their projects and special training on soft skills, like communication skills and work ethic.
