A hope for women victims of violence

The Attahadi fund, launched by the association Initiatives for the Protection of Women's Rights (IPDF) in Fes, is on the right track to meet the objectives assigned to it. Endowed with an amount of more than 2 million DH, the Attahadi fund, financed by UN Women (the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women), aims, over a period of 3 years, to improve the economic conditions of women victims of gender-based violence (GBV) who are users of the "Batha" multifunctional centre, managed by the IPDF, by facilitating their access to stable and sufficient income. Today, 30 women with project ideas have been chosen to benefit from this fund. Ambitious and full of hope, they want at all costs to turn the page on a painful past and look towards a promising and radiant future. These women will benefit from financial support that will allow them to set up their projects and carry them out successfully. Once their projects are on track, they will have to repay their loans to replenish the fund and allow other women to benefit from it. Fatima, who has a sewing and embroidery project, hopes that this project will help her become a financially independent woman by providing her with a stable source of income. The same sentiment is shared by Dounia, who has a dairy project and is counting on the financial support of the Attahadi fund to help her return to a normal life and thus provide for her needs and those of her family. In addition to financial support, the Attahadi fund places great importance on the empowerment of women, through the strengthening of their power and leadership at the social and economic level, and this, through 2 axes relating to economic integration and psychosocial support. The first axis consists of an individualised support service for women, helping them to develop and manage their activities or to integrate directly into the job market. As for the second axis, it includes an integrated chain of services for the psychological, social, and legal support of women victims of GBV. It is also about promoting the mobilisation and development of the women's own capacities to strengthen their collective power, making them capable of claiming their rights and fighting against GBV.

These axes are broken down into 10 thematic workshops, the first 2 of which have just taken place on 18 July at the Batha multifunctional centre. "These first 2 workshops are themed around gender relations. They are part of the psychosocial component. Within the framework of the same component, the other workshops will relate to women's fundamental rights, women's participation in public life, as well as non-violent communication. The second component, which concerns economic integration, includes for its part workshops around themes such as accounting, management, or even an introduction to the entrepreneurial world," specifies Hanane Souabni, coordinator of the "aid and support" service at the Batha multifunctional centre.

It should be noted that the IPDF welcomes 1,200 women victims of GBV each year, of whom nearly 40 women with a maximum of two children each are housed within the Batha multifunctional centre for the empowerment of women. Two types of intervention are used within the framework of the IPDF's work. First, there is outreach work that revolves around the various services offered to women (reception, listening, legal guidance, medical support, psychological support, vocational training, economic integration, etc.). These various services are provided to women in an integrated manner because they are part of the global feminist approach and are considered a primary objective. At the same time, the IPDF carries out advocacy work aimed at changing discriminatory laws that are not in compliance with international charters and conventions.

"UN Women", the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women, which finances the Attahadi fund, was created in July 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly. Faithful to the vision of equality for all, enshrined in the United Nations Charter, UN Women works, among other things, for the elimination of all discrimination against women and girls, the empowerment of women, as well as equality between men and women as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, peace, and security.

-* The IPDF welcomes 1,200 women victims of GBV each year, of whom nearly 100 are housed within the Batha multifunctional centre for the empowerment of women.

-* Endowed with an amount of more than 2 million DH, the Attahadi fund, financed by UN Women, aims, over a period of 3 years, to improve the economic conditions of women victims of GBV and users of the "Batha" multifunctional centre.

-* 30 women, with project ideas, have been chosen to benefit from this fund.

Provider / Source : Afaf Razouki, Le Matin