Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, Deputy Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), accompanied by Mr. Najib Rhiati, Cultural Advisor to ICESCO Director-General, took part in the award ceremony of the fourth edition of the National Award, “Lalla Al-Muta’awina” for the best ideas to develop a women’s cooperative project. The ceremony was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, and the Cooperation Development Office of the Kingdom of Morocco, under the theme, “Towards leading women’s cooperatives.”

During the ceremony, held on Monday, March 20, 2023, 31 women’s cooperatives from different regions of Morocco received awards for their projects, which focused on a variety of fields including agriculture and fisheries, handicrafts, food and cosmetics, and sewing and embroidery.

ICESCO’s participation comes within the framework of the Organization’s interest in empowering women, improving their social and economic conditions, and encouraging them to develop income-generating projects.