Empowered Women Power Communities: How USAID’s partnership with one Moroccan organization is supporting thousands of women

A woman turns on the water faucet in the bathroom to cover the sound of her hushed voice as she speaks into the phone. She then cautiously leaves her home and hails a taxi while her husband is at work. The driver knows where she needs to go for help. She arrives at a discrete entrance that leads to an intake room where she is greeted by social workers who, first and foremost, listen.

Women reach the Ennakhil Association in many different ways — including now through a virtual platform. But they all seek assistance and protection from gender-based violence (GBV), whether in the form of a safe space, legal advice, referral services, or information about their rights.

Thousands of women have received crucial support in the 25 years since the organization was founded by a group of Moroccan women on a mission to reinforce equal human rights in laws and public policies.

“Empowered women power our communities,” U.S. First Lady Jill Biden said during her visit to Ennakhil in June. “That’s why USAID has invested in this space and so many of you here. When we come together as partners, we can begin to work against injustice. We can repair what’s broken and build something new.”

Only a year following its establishment in Marrakech in 1997, Ennakhil opened the first “listening center” outside of the Casablanca-Rabat metropolitan areas for women who have experienced GBV.

That year, Ennakhil served about 50 women. As the organization’s name became more widely known and the government reformed the Moroccan Family Code, known as the Moudawana, more and more women arrived at the listening center.

After just five years of operating, the caseload expanded to over 1,000 people per year.

Now, more than 20 years later, Ennakhil has aided over 19,000 women and 2,000 children who have experienced physical, psychological, sexual, or economic violence. In collaboration with other stakeholders such as police, judiciary, health providers, and the media, Ennakhil has also supported around 2,000 GBV cases before court.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Morocco, like countries all over the world, saw a drastic increase in GBV as families struggled to cope with sudden and unexpected confinement measures. To address this uptick in violence, USAID’s Mission in Morocco provided emergency funding to Ennakhil Association, which developed an online platform for virtual support to GBV survivors and their families.

With USAID’s support, Ennakhil also established a restaurant training center for GBV survivors and women in at-risk situations. Here, women participate in a six-month program with training in catering services, tailored soft skills programming, and ongoing coaching. To date, 39 women have completed the program, which has led to new jobs, internships, or enrollment in further specialized training.

The restaurant training center provides catering for events, private school lunches, and other local associations. All proceeds benefit the listening center, and Ennakhil plans to open a more public-facing restaurant next.

USAID’s partnership with the Ennakhil Association began long before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2016, Ennakhil trained 30 Moroccan civil society organizations in organizational and technical practices and advocacy on behalf of citizens as part of USAID’s Civil Society Intermediary Support Organizations program.

Zakia Mrini, a founder of Ennakhil and a leading advocate for women’s rights herself, serves as a model of how one person’s passion and hard work can spread throughout an entire community — and even an entire country. Having served as both a mayor and parliamentary representative, her work through the Ennakhil Association reflects her dedication to breaking down barriers for women’s active role in democracy.

“Through our partnership with USAID, we have contributed to the enhancement of participatory democracy in the Marrakech-Safi region and have reduced the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls who are survivors of gender-based violence,” she shared.

Hassan Naji, program manager at Ennakhil, credits USAID’s support for solidifying Ennakhil’s role as a credible civil society actor in the eyes of authorities. Ennakhil contributed to important civil society-related legislation, including laws on public fundraising and volunteerism, and a draft law on public consultation.

For an organization like Ennakhil, it often feels like an uphill battle to challenge deeply rooted notions of masculinity and women’s role in society. However, each woman they help serves as a reminder of the importance of this mission.

“It’s like a family,” added Hassan, as he recounted the story of one woman’s trajectory since first visiting Ennakhil. Like many others, this woman had arrived at Ennakhil to seek safety and learn about her rights. But now — more knowledgeable, empowered, and ready to make her impact on the world — what is her goal? To run for office.