Advocacy

"AFEM Advocacy Issue: Access to SME Support Services"

In Morocco and in the region of Maghreb, the rate of survival businesses headed by women is very low; this is mainly due to the lack of support, advice and technical assistance. The Moroccan National Agency in Charge of Promoting SMEs (ANPME) provides technical assistance and financial support to SMEs through its competitive modernization program. Prior to AFEM’s advocacy campaign, only businesses working in “Industry or services related to industry” were eligible to receive support. Unfortunately, only a handful of women-owned businesses met this criterion. A study of women-owned businesses conducted by AFEM in partnership with the European Union and SSFCDP found that 95% of women-owned SMEs operate in the service sector while only 5% operate in the industrial sector. In the Magreb, there is a lack of recognition and awareness of women’s economic rights, barriers to economic activities and access to employment opportunities.

Accordingly, AFEM took on as its advocacy issue for this year lobbying the National Agency for the Promotion of Small-Medium Enterprises (ANPME) to give access to women-led enterprises to ANPME support services. First, AFEM promoted the advocacy issue for equal rights for women in business through a regional training workshop. Throughout the year, AFEM planned and organized meetings with different government bodies to promote the advocacy issue about equal rights on Business and economic opportunities. During the Corporate Ambassador Event, AFEM had the opportunity to highlight their advocacy issue and lobby the ANPME, also an event sponsor, to offer their services to more SMEs, especially those owned by women, and adopt more transparency within the agency. Ms. Latifa Echihabi, Director General of the ANPME, responded that she was willing to hear AFEM’s concerns, but they need to present them to her in a cohesive and formalized manner, which they said they would. The success of AFEM’s efforts produced their MENA BWN Hub event for November: training sessions offered by the ANPME for AFEM members, as well as a commitment by the ANPME to officially adopt the policy, which will be implemented beginning in March 2009.