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Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) has been recognized as a “Climate Hero” by the Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (YOUNGO).
The recognition was announced at the UN Youth Conference on Climate Change (COY16).
UM6P is one of two institutions in the world that have obtained the recognition of Climate Hero, the Sustainable Development Department of UM6P said in a statement, noting that it “dedicates this appointment to all Moroccans and foreign residents in Morocco.”
“UM6P Youth Statement” was the only statement letter representing the vision of young people in the Kingdom of Morocco during COY16 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
The declaration, which was elaborated by youth representatives from the UM6Pand the local region of Rehamna, featured six themes: climate change, clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, ecomobility, social inclusion, and gender equality.
source/content : moroccoworldnews.com
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Morocco’s UM6P Awarded “Climate Hero” at UN Youth Conference
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Morocco World News launched a symbolic award, celebrating in a series of articles the outstanding achievements of Moroccan women who have left their imprint on society.
Alongside 10 other strong female leaders, Hannou Oumarouch was placed in special recognition at the top of the list.
Born in 1961, Hannou Oumarouch is a 64-year-old Moroccan woman who lives in Tilmi, 70 kilometers from Tinghir.
Hannou is known for her courage in addressing and defending women’s concerns in the “Ait Hadido” tribe. She has also been active in the Regional Consultative Commission for Equality and Women’s Issues in the region.
Elected to the Municipal Council for the first time under the banner of the National Rally of Independents, she won an electoral seat for the party in the rural commune of Talmi, which is affiliated with Mesmerir in Tinghir province.
She was asked to join a Regional Council mission visiting China, where she represented Morocco and drew the attention of the Chinese media owing to her typical spontaneity and Amazigh attire.
She became a member of the Provincial Council of Tinghir, at the end of September 2021, and subsequently Hannou was elected as president of the commission in charge of social development and the family.
Latifa Ibn Ziaten . French-Moroccan Activist. President, Association for Youth and Peace (IMAD).
Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has empowered me to continue fighting: Latifa Ibn Ziaten.
Anti-extremist French-Moroccan activist Latifa Ibn Ziaten, President of the Association for Youth and Peace (IMAD), called on countries participating in Expo 2020 Dubai to support the efforts aimed at supporting peaceful coexistence and combatting extremism.
She also lauded the UAE’s efforts to encourage social peace and promote the principles of tolerance and human fraternity.
In an exclusive interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Latifa Ibn Ziaten, winner of the award in 2021, expressed her appreciation for the award.
“I am proud to be here in the UAE, the country that gave me the opportunity to win the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, which empowered and motivated me to continue my journey and fight to help marginalised youths,” she said.
“We need to help each other, most notably the youth who engage in terrorism. I will explore the reasons that led them to choose extremism, as people are not born terrorists, but factors, such as misery, ignorance, desperation and specific lifestyles, have led them to become prey for terrorism,” she added.
Ibn Ziaten said that she delivered several lectures in Abu Dhabi on terrorism and participated in seminars on how to save the youth from terrorism, in addition to delivering lectures in Morocco, the US, India and Mali. In France, she has worked with the Ministry of Education and conducts weekly lectures to raise the awareness of the youth.
After her son was killed in a terrorist attack in 2021, Latifa Ibn Ziaten has dedicated herself to promoting tolerance and countering terrorism.
The state-of-the-art wind turbine in Morocco’s Oualidia is expected to generate an annual average of 2.500 MW/h, reducing CO2 emissions by 2.500 tonnes every year.
The 144-meter tall structure, part of the InnoVent’s Oualidia wind farm, provides a milestone thanks to high production capacity and cost-efficiency.
Construction work for the turbine began in 2019 following a deal between Morocco’s government and Spanish renewable energy company Nabrawind Technologies.
The installation is the first “self-erecting turbine” for Nabrawind Technologies.
Aside from breaking the continental height record for turbines, the Nabralift tower is special on grounds of the innovative construction method. The company used an innovative self-erecting system to construct the tower, without the need for conventional large-size cranes.
Built in collaboration with French developer InnoVent, the turbine additionally breaks the record for the tallest turbine constructed with a self-erecting system.
The innovative construction model was also cost-optimal as the tower only needed 80 square-cubic meters of concrete for its foundation, down from 500 square-cubic meters necessary for structures of such height, lowering cost by 60%.
Researchers from the MAScIR Foundation have developed a 100% Moroccan made molecular test for tuberculosis screening.
The test will provide health professionals with results within 30 minutes.
The test called MAScIR TB SS-LAMP “has the advantage of being precise and fast, delivering results in 30 minutes,” a press release from the foundation said on Friday.
The foundation, which is part of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, said that the Pasteur Institute of Morocco validated the test. It is also registered with the Directorate of the Medicines and Pharmacy under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
The test constitutes a solution that facilitates “diagnosis as close as possible to patients at a controlled cost,” the researchers said.
source/content: moroccoworldnews.com
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MAScIR Develops 100% Moroccan Tuberculosis Diagnostic Test
Doum was founded by mother-daughter duo Samira Madrane and Yasmine Erguibi in 2017.
Samira and Yasmine Erguibi are the Moroccan mother-daughter duo who have made it their mission to make a positive impact in fashion. The designers are playing an active role in promoting sustainability and ethical practices with their accessories label, Doum.
Each design in their bag line is handmade by underprivileged women. The totes, clutches and pouches support fair trade and sustainable practices to preserve local artisanal traditions and invite local women from rural areas around Marrakech to provide for their families via the production of the bags, according to the label’s manifesto.
The brand takes its name from the Moroccan palm leaf, which is collected, pruned and then woven by the artisans. “It is a nod to our culture, heritage and craftsmanship,” explained Yasmine of the decision to name the label Doum.
Today, Doum operates its own cooperative in Morocco, Doum For Women, which currently employs 235 women artisans.
Doum For Women is the first basketry cooperative in Morocco to have obtained SEDEX certification, meaning that the organization ticks all of the boxes of ethical business practices.
Morocco has been continuously creating opportunities for women to integrate many fields and take the lead in positions that were once designed only for men.
Moroccan women are now represented in all fields, from sports and arts to politics and economics.
Indeed, the list is very long of inspiring, canonized Moroccan women whose bravery and infectious passion for social change remain central to the country’s history. For now, however, let’s just revel in the New Year spirit and celebrate the power of women in Morocco by looking back on the achievements of female Moroccan changemakers who made headlines in 2021.
Women in politics
This year, Moroccan politics welcomed seven new ministers in the Aziz Akhannouch government, making a third of the government’s representatives.
Nadia Fellah Alaoui, who is now the Minister of Economy and Finance, was the first woman to be appointed as the Minister of Tourism in the previous, Saadeddine El Othmani-led government.
Minister Delegate Ghita Mezzour has made a name for herself through her active engagement in Big Data, artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity.
Other women at the forefront of government include: Fatima Zahra Ammor as Minister of Tourism and Handicraft, Fatima-Zahra Mansouri as Minister of Housing, Aouatif Hayar as Minister of Women, Family, and Social Integration, and Leila Benali as Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.
Nabila Rmili, who stepped down from her new position as Minister of Heath a few days after her appointment, retains her role as the first female mayor of Casablanca. Meanwhile, Asmaa Rhlalou, a journalist and the former deputy of the National Rally of Independents party (RNI) in the House of Representatives, and Fatima-Zahra Mansouri are the mayors of Rabat and Marrakech, respectively.
Moroccan women in science
Two Moroccan scientists and researchers at Mohammed V University, Rajaa Cherkaoui El Moursli and Farida Fassi, have made it to the list of top 50 scientists worldwide according to the international 2021 AD Scientific Index. They hold 33rd and 38th place respectively.
El Moursli, a professor of nuclear physics, holds the highest-ranking in Morocco, Africa, and the Arab League, while Fassi, a professor of physics at the Faculty of Sciences, follows closely in second-ranking across the regions.
In 2015, El Moursli received the L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science for her contribution to proving the existence of the Higgs Boson. She is the first Moroccan woman to receive the prestigious award.
Professor Fassi contributed to the research of High Energy Physics, as well as to the Worldwide Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Computing Grid, which sets out to solve the problem of data storage for the LHC.
Moroccan women as global influencers
Sanae Lahlou was selected as a Young Global Leader in 2021 by The World Economic Forum (WEF).
She is now the director of consulting firm Mazars’ Africa Business Unit in Morocco. Lahlou works to connect African Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and creative start-ups by expanding their growth opportunities and transforming them into African and global champions.
Another Moroccan to make the headlines for her activism and commitment to provide girls around the globe with proper education is Iman Hammam.
Super Model Hammam was the first to receive the She’s the First (STF) inaugural Powerhouse of the Year Award. She is also the ambassador of STF, an organization that sponsors girls’ education in developing nations.
First Moroccan woman as General Manager of Microsoft Morocco
In November 2021, Salima Amira was appointed General Manager of Microsoft Morocco.
With 17 years of experience as a leader in competitive environments, such as Inwi and IBM, Amira firmly established herself in a field historically dominated by men when she became the first woman to hold the position of General Manager of Microsoft Morocco. The Casablanca subsidiary was founded in 1993.
Amira graduated from the Mohammadia School of Engineers in 2003 and from the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech in 2010.
Moroccans as Most Powerful Businesswomen in the MENA region
In February 2021, Forbes magazine featured four Moroccan women in the Middle East’s Power Businesswomen 2021 list.
Nezha Hayat was the first Moroccan to appear on the list, ranking eighth in the list of 50. Hayat is the CEO of Morocco’s Capital Market Authority and the president of the Africa Middle East Regional Committee at the International Organization of Securities Commissions.
The founder and CEO of AKSAL Group, Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch ranked 19th. Married to the current Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, Salwa is an accomplished businesswoman. Her company is engaged in social community work and implemented a social project to support cultural, educational, and health projects across Morocco.
Rita Maria Zniber, the chairman and CEO of Diana Holding, occupied the 33rd rank. With over 50 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Zniber’s company scope mainly includes agriculture, olive growing, poultry farming, trade, and distribution.
She is also the founder of the Rita Zniber Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports abandoned children in Morocco.
The 36th ranking went to Miriem Bensalah Chaqroun, the director of Holmarcom Group and the CEO of Oulmes, the largest mineral water company in Morocco. In 2019, the Moroccan businesswoman was appointed by the United Nations’ Secretary-General to join the Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) alliance.
Women in cinema and arts
The Moroccan artist Meriem Bennani was the first Moroccan in the history of the Paris Fashion Week to assume the artistic direction of the fashion show.
Bennani decorated the show space and operated the Miu Miu livestream through displaying artwork and a series of artistic interventions starring her own mother and highlighting a fine line between virtual and real life.
Born in 1988 in Morocco, Bennani attended Cooper Union College in New York where she studied visual arts.
During the lockdown last year, Bennani teamed up with documentary filmmaker Orian Barki to animate a series of videos posted on Instagram titled “2 Lizards.”
In September 2021, Morocco hosted the first female-only organized Short Film Festival in Marrakech. The event was co-organized by Moroccan artist Ramia Beladel and French national Thais Martin.
In her work, Beladel illustrates subjects of everyday life in a multi-layered way. Her aim is to make the viewer imagine and interpret her artwork without being hindered by the historical reality.
In another film accolade, in October 2021, Moroccan actress Sandia Tajeddine won the Best Actress award at the 2021 Jordan International Film Festival.
Born in 1994, the actress began her career in theater at seven years old in school plays and camps. She graduated from the Rabat-based Higher Institute of Dramatic Art and Cultural Activities in 2017 and has since played challenging roles in many films and series, such as “Banat El Assas,” “The Punch,” and “Yacout W Anbar.”
These are just a few examples of Moroccan women who made the headlines this year.
source/content: moroccoworldnews.com
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Significant Achievements by Moroccan Women in 202 / pix; moroccoworldnews.com
Morocco’s bid to host the first African office of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was ratified at the 24th session of the Organization’s General Assembly.
The bid was approved amid strong competition from four other African countries, and UNWTO’s first regional office will open in Marrakech.
Morocco’s bid to host the first African office of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was ratified at the 24th session of the Organization’s General Assembly.
The bid was approved amid strong competition from four other African countries, and UNWTO’s first regional office will open in Marrakech.
Ammor led the Moroccan delegation at UNWTO’s General Assembly, which was attended by more than 500 government officials and several tourism professionals from member countries.
Morocco’s participation shed light on the village of Sidi Kaouki in the province of Essaouira as “Best Tourism Village 2021.”
The seaside village of Sidi Kaouki was selected from more than 170 villages from 75 countries, echoing Morocco’s continuous efforts to build an eco-friendly destination for global tourism.
source/content: moroccoworldnews.com
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UNWTO Regional Office for Africa to Open in Marrakech. Credits: UNWTO
The Moroccan-German woman won a seat in the Cologne 1 region under the banner of the Social Democratic Party.
Abdi is the first Moroccan woman to successfully be elected to Germany’s legislative body. Born in Tetouan, Abdi moved to Germany to attend the Adolf Reichwein Comprehensive School in Ludenscheid.
During this time, Abdi also joined the SPD in 2008, at the age of 22.
source/content: moroccoworldnews.com
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Sanae Abdi was elected to represent the Cologne I constituency after Sunday’s elections. Photo Credit: Sanae Abdi / pix: moroccoworldnews.com
With a swimming time of 8 hours and 30 minutes, Baraka secured a Guinness record for setting the “fastest time to swim the length of the Aqaba Gulf.”
Moroccan swimmer Hassan Baraka has set a Guinness World Record for being the first person in the world to swim across the Gulf of Aqaba, northeastern arm of the Red Sea between Saudi Arabia and the Sinai Peninsula.
