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Rabat – A Moroccan delegation led by Leïla Doukali, head of the Association of Moroccan Women Entrepreneurs (AFEM), won the pledge to host the 69th annual AFEM World Congress in 2022 in Marrakech.
Delegations of 30 countries were also present at the 68 edition of the AFEM World Congress held in Istanbul, Turkey.
Each delegation presented financial records for the 2020-2021 fiscal year to compete for the opportunity to organize the annual event.
This year’s event was organized by the Turkish Association of Women Entrepreneurs (KAGİDER). Over 200 women entrepreneurs attended the three-day congress, representing a base capital of over 700 billion euros.
The event provides an abundant opportunity for women entrepreneurs to create a global business network, exchange ideas and expertise, and encourage women’s business initiations.
The AFEM’s mission is to unite women business owners from all around the world. With over seven decades of experience, the French association has a strong presence on all five continents with over five million members.
In a 2019 report, according to the Global Entrepreneur Monitor (GEM), a leader in market research, the number of women startups still lags behind men startups.
In Morocco, AFEM reported that in 2018 the number of women entrepreneurs didn’t exceed 10,000, representing only 10% of the total number of Moroccan startups.
Research highlights that women entrepreneurship still faces gender-based challenges.
However, national and international numbers of women entrepreneurs are on an upwards trajectory according to global estimates.
The Association of Moroccan Entrepreneurs (AFEM) is growing in momentum in the North African country. 600 women business leaders out of the existing 1,600 women entrepreneurs are already members of the association.
The association aims to promote women’s empowerment and to encourage women entrepreneurs despite the persisting and prevailing patriarchal sentiment surrounding women’s engagement in business.
