Morocco’s CGEM Partner With EU, AFD Group to Support Women Entrepreneurs in Africa

Rabat – The Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), the AFD Group, and the European Union have forged a strategic alliance aiming to amplify the presence of female entrepreneurs, particularly within the Moroccan diaspora.

Under the title of the MEET Africa 2 initiative, the three entities organized a workshop titled “MEET Her: Entrepreneurial Flight of Moroccan Women Worldwide” at the CGEM headquarters in Casablanca on Tuesday.

The workshop aimed to highlight women’s entrepreneurial goals, and was structured around three pivotal themes and panels: “Inform: Enlightened women entrepreneurs – navigating the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” “Finance: Pathways to financing – a prosperous future for women entrepreneurs,” and “Connect: Networks and success relays for entrepreneurs.”

During the discussions, panelists shed light on diagnoses and hypotheses aiming to more effectively integrate the needs and perspectives of women entrepreneurs from the diaspora.

The event provided a platform to showcase existing financial mechanisms and opportunities in Morocco available to fund women-led projects.

In addition, the event stressed the critical necessity of enhancing networking among entrepreneurs, both local and among the diaspora, to boost their skills, expand markets, and establish reliable connections within the dual Africa-Europe space.

Panel discussion at the MEET Africa 2 event

With a robust participation of around a hundred attendees and representatives from approximately twenty national and international institutions, the MEET Her event showcased three success stories of female entrepreneurs.

The business leaders shared insights into their entrepreneurial journey, from starting ventures in Morocco to fundraising strategies, product and service development, and business expansion.

Mrs. Fatima Boussalla, Vice-President of the Moroccan Entrepreneurs of the World (MeM) region by CGEM, said that “the MEET Her event in Morocco epitomizes our aspiration to position the country as a pivotal supporter of Moroccan entrepreneurs within the diaspora.”

“Through CGEM’s 13th region dedicated to Moroccan Entrepreneurs and High Potentials worldwide, we are thrilled to collaborate with Meet Africa 2,” she explained.

Boussalla elaborated that the organization’s “ mission is to assist” institutional partners as well as national and international funding bodies in “mobilizing the diaspora to create more jobs and add substantial value to our nation.”