SheTrades Morocco
Overview
Summary
The purpose of the SheTrades Morocco project is to increase the participation of women-owned businesses in trade by improving their competitiveness and strengthening their market linkages. The project seeks to enable Moroccan women to benefit from economic participation focusing on processed foods value chains. Within the framework of the International Trade Centre’s SheTrades Initiative, the project will work with key public and private stakeholders to address issues that are holding back Moroccan women from fulfilling their economic potential.
More competitive enterprises in this key sector will contribute to achieving targets linked to the 2030 Agenda, particularly related to SDG 8 “promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment”, SDG 9 “industry, innovation & infrastructure” and SDG 5 “gender equality”.
SheTrades Morocco will advocate for a conducive business environment for women entrepreneurs, give women entrepreneurs access to the skills and support systems required to run successful businesses, and connect women-owned enterprises to local, regional, and international markets.
Partners
Sustainable Development Goals
SheTrades Morocco helps business women boost their export capacity in the processed foods sector by producing value-added products in line with market requirements, and linking them with targeted buyers through networking and business linkage events.
We provide key information on quality control and management, conditioning, packaging, labeling, pricing, as well as improved business management and marketing skills.
Twenty-five selected Moroccan women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) will also learn to design and implement new marketing strategies to effectively position their products in local, regional and international markets.
As a result, the project will promote gender equality, improve community livelihoods and help women-owned SMEs to benefit from higher incomes, as well as strengthen and grow their businesses.
Enhancing capacity of support institutions
The project also aims to reinforce Morocco’s Investment and Trade Agency (AMDIE), the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Morocco (AFEM), the National Federation of Agribusiness (FENAGRI) and the Moroccan Association of Exporters (ASMEX).
These institutions will be able to upgrade their technical skills and know-how to provide better, effective and efficient business services to Moroccan small women-owned businesses along the value chain requirements, including help in accessing finance, and business generation.
Through e-learning, classroom, and peer-to-peer learning, SheTrades Morocco will increase the capacity of these institutions to identify challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, specific steps they can take to build the competitiveness of women entrepreneurs, and to measure results of their activities.