MOROCCO: Activities of UN-INSTRAW/CAWTAR Project

The work of the UN-INSTRAW/CAWTAR project “Strengthening women's leadership and women's participation in political life and decision making processes in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia” progresses with the organization of various activities. With the goal of guiding the project and facilitating the tasks of the teams in each of the three participating countries, focus groups have been established under the project's component entitled “Changing the political women's image in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia”. Representatives from the Ministry of Communication and the Ministry of women, professionals in communication, and film producers from each country met to discuss ways in which the awareness campaign and public communications strategies may be implemented.

Videos were produced on Tunisian women politicians who headed their respective electoral parties in the elections held in November 2009. The videos serve a didactic purpose by giving the observer a detailed insight of the political field, as well as the opportunities and obstacles women face in their political work as well as the rewards that they reap. In a debate organized after the projection of the videos, the participating women politicians made recommendations to women aspiring to participate in local politics. The Advisory Group for the UN-INSTRAW/CAWTAR project held its third annual meeting in Casablanca on May 7–8, 2010 during which participants discussed the contents of the Project and its component entitled “Changing the political women's image in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The group also discussed difficulties encountered during the past two years of the project and the procedures to follow in establishing partnerships. The advisory group also discussed prospects for the third year and drew outlines for the implementation of activities.