Generally speaking, of the 10,975,000 employed workers, 42.8% are rural and 22.7% are female in 2019. In addition, cooperatives employ more than 146,368 women, representing 29% of the total workforce in this sector, estimated at 504,715 members. The figures speak for themselves and testify to the important contribution of women in the development of the social economy. At the national level, the activity rate of men is almost three times the activity rate of women in urban areas and twice the activity rate of women in rural areas. At the national level, the activity rate of men is almost three times the activity rate of women in urban areas, and twice the activity rate of women in rural areas.At the beginning of 2018, the number of cooperatives reached more than 20,000 at the national level, of which more than 2,600 are 100% women’s cooperatives, which represents a percentage of 14% of the total number of cooperatives, given that 1,190 of these structures are specialized in craft activities, while 878 cooperatives work in the agricultural sector. The rest of the women’s cooperatives specialize in the argan tree and food industry. Regarding the geographical distribution, the Secretary of State said that 54% of women’s cooperatives are concentrated in the region of Souss-Massa and 39% in Marrakech-Safi. The rest is spread over the other regions, she said at a national meeting under the theme “women’s cooperatives, a lever for sustainable development”.

Rural populations, often poor and isolated, are highly dependent on the ecosystem in which they live.  In order to meet the challenge of simultaneously combating poverty and nature degradation, it seems wise to find adequate institutional solutions that make the implications for local populations more equitable and the use of natural resources more sustainable, all within a commonly profitable economic framework.

In rural Morocco, despite women’s involvement in work outside the domestic sphere, their work is socially classified as secondary and as deriving from their biological status. Overall, the interior is the woman’s responsibility, while the exterior is the man’s business.

In this context, promoting cooperatives in the High Atlas region, involves women in sustainable development for the enhancement of biodiversity, socio-cultural wealth and economic potential. The cooperative’s objectives are not limited to the pursuit of profit. They seek first of all to stabilize jobs, and then to perform at the community level. The co-operative therefore allows human resources to be developed through their training and education. It spreads the values of mutual aid, equity and solidarity, which is a guarantee of sustainable development. The cooperative aims to guarantee social and economic well-being by integrating marginalized people in order to reduce unemployment, poverty and discrimination. Training for women, Support for cooperatives and Integration of the “Made in Morocco” network.