Women's Empowerment — High Atlas Foundation

Women's Empowerment

A Multi-dimensional Approach

We believe that supporting and empowering women is a crucial first step to all community development. Our projects typically start with a community IMAGINE workshop that encourages and equips women to have emotionally healthy discussions that expand their confidence and self-agency while identifying personal goals and priorities.

In addition to our IMAGINE workshops, our Cooperative Building programs provide women with business knowledge and opportunities across agricultural and artisanal markets. Our Legal Clinic program provides free clinics designed to educate Moroccan women on their rights.

We believe that empowering women empowers families. This perspective drives our Family Literacy program. Going beyond women’s empowerment, this program addresses the literacy and numeracy needs of rural women, girls, and young children. The program also incorporates early childhood development and parenting classes.

IMAGINE Workshops

We begin every community development project with a women’s empowerment workshop facilitated by Moroccan women. These workshops aim to expand capacity by identifying personal priorities and goals. Since 2017, we have conducted over 219 IMAGINE workshops in 26 provinces with over 5,000 women.

These interactive workshops, led by highly trained facilitators, provide a clear pathway for women to grow as leaders of their communities, helping them develop and implement strategies for economic, social, and environmental vitality.

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Psychosocial Therapy

Our group psychosocial therapy fosters resilience and equips people with strategies for emotional and mental recovery. Through various activities and discussions, the workshop helps people rebuild a sense of self in the wake of grief and disaster. It is a crucial first step toward the work of rebuilding lives and livelihoods.

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Cooperative Building

After IMAGINE empowerment workshops, many participants choose to launch cooperatives in their communities as a financial stimulus and social network. We come alongside these women to support cooperatives, often bringing in expert volunteers to provide training and problem-solving.

Following our philosophy of community-led sustainable development, cooperatives are planned and implemented by the women of the community. Many of the cooperatives choose to focus on agriculture, building fruit tree nurseries for local sale and distribution. The result is value-added products and processing, artisan crafts, and textile production that they are able to take to market.

Legal Clinics

The Legal Clinic program initiates collaboration between Moroccan universities and underserved communities to increase equitable access to legal information, legal aid, and socio-economic integration in marginalized communities, specifically among women, youth, migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, and survivors of trafficking.

Since the beginning of the program in 2009, our Legal Clinics have worked with 8 Moroccan universities, establishing 2 legal aid clinics in Fes and Marrakech. We are now launching the third iteration of the program in Oujda.

Family Literacy

Supported through the European Union’s EuropeAid initiative, our Family Literacy program grew out of community meetings where women collectively identified education and capacity-building as a main priority. The program has provided women in Beni Mellal, Khenifra, Fquih Ben Saleh, Azilal, Al Haouz, Rhamna, Chichaoua, and Essaouira with literacy classes, empowerment workshops, and technical skills training.

“Women in our cooperative are hard workers, but they used to be shy to meet customers and that created problems in selling our products. After they began the literacy training, I understood that ladies could meet customers, discuss our items with assurance, and persuade them to purchase by utilizing more effective communication.”

Hafida, President of Wardat Al Atlas Cooperative

“As a mother of three, I have been busy working at home for many years. Now I am able to participate in empowerment training that helps me to discover that I have great capacities and skills that I would like to use outside of the house.”

IMAGINE workshop participant

“I am an old lady who can no longer prepare couscous nor craft carpets. However, I am hopeful that you can help me with reading and writing. I want to fight illiteracy!’’

IMAGINE workshop participant

“I was born in a rich family and was never introduced to ‘money-saving.’ When you tackled the topic of money, I thought that I should reconsider my relationship with money as a cooperative president and start thinking about saving money.”

Rhimou, President of a cooperative

"I determine my priorities as I want and I take care of my body, which enables me to do household chores and my duties towards my children.”

IMAGINE workshop participant

“By using the empowerment tools in my daily life, my life is starting to improve and I have a peaceful mind.”

IMAGINE workshop participant

Measurable Outcomes

Discover the benefits of our programs.

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800+

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Success Stories

Learn about how our women’s empowerment programs have benefitted people, families, and communities.

Empowering Women Through Cooperatives and Psychosocial Support: A Path to Sustainable Development

Some may assume that after a year of psychosocial empowerment training, the need for such workshops diminishes. However, our experience as facilitators working in a rural part of Morocco tells a different story.

Intercultural Solidarity Achieving Agricultural Opportunity in Morocco

A talk by Yossef Ben-Meir, President of the High Atlas Foundation in Morocco, at the Integrated Management of Cultural Tourism Conference on 11 June 2024 hosted by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiques and the United States Agency for International Development.

Looking Forward… Remembering the September 8 Earthquake in Morocco

As the one-year anniversary of the September 8th earthquake nears, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) alongside community partners will come together to honor the painful losses, the healing, and the collective rebuilding with one and all here in Morocco, and around the world.

Resources

Get more in-depth information about our Women’s Empowerment program.

دورة تكوينية حول النماذج القانونية للجمعيات المجتمع المدني وتعزيز القدرات الإجتماعية

يعرف المجتمع المدني بأنه المجتمع الذي يشمل مؤسسات و منظمات تعرف بأنشطتها التطوعية التي تنظمها الجماعة حول مصالح وقيم وأهداف مشتركة، من هذا المنطلق قامت مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير بمشروع تعزيز المشاركة بين المجتمع المدني والجامعة -بجهة الشرق وجدة.

Maroc-Bienfaisance-HAF : Collecte de fonds par « High Atlas Fondation » (HAF) au profit du monde rural au Maroc

Fondation High Atlas (HAF), organisation caritative maroco-méricaine, organise chaque année une collecte de fonds pour aider les familles d’agriculteurs marocains démunis à la plantation d’arbres fruitiers rentables et à l’autonomisation de la femme rurale.

استقبال الفوج الاول من الطلاب في مشروع تعزيز المشاركة بين المجتمع المدني و الجامعة بوجدة

في أجواء احتفالية مميزة، نظمت مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير حفل استقبال الفوج الأول من الطلبة المشاركين في مشروع "تعزيز المشاركة بين المجتمع المدني والجامعة - جهة الشرق"، بشراكة بين جامعة محمد الأول، كلية الحقوق بوجدة مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير، وبتمويل من الصندوق الوطني للديمقراطية (NED). يوم 30 نونبر 2024.