NEA SENIOR ADVISOR WALSH'S VISIT TO MOROCCO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 001152

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND NEA/PI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EAID EINV KMPI PGOV MO
SUBJECT: NEA SENIOR ADVISOR WALSH'S VISIT TO MOROCCO



1. Summary: On May 27, NEA Senior Advisor and MEPI Women's
Pillar Manager Elizabeth Erin Walsh visited Morocco to
discuss MEPI Programs with Post and MEPI implementers.
Contacts gave an overview of the women's movement in Morocco
and recommendations for next steps, particularly the need to
include economic empowerment programming. Walsh learned of
problematic program management issues related to the World
Learning project. Post is moving forward with Walsh's
suggestion to create a MEPI Women's Pillar committee. End
Summary.


2. Over breakfast at the Ambassador's residence, senior
Mission staff briefed visiting NEA Senior Advisor and MEPI
Women's Pillar Manager Elizabeth Erin Walsh on the full range
of MEPI projects in Morocco and described in detail the
coordinating structure established by the Ambassador to
manage MEPI programs. USAID Country Director Monica
Stein-Olson provided an update on USAID's branding policy and
recent steps to enhance coordination with the Embassy on the
management of MEPI programs. The Ambassador and DCM stressed
that Post had long ago revamped its management, staffing,
overall assistance package, and Mission Program Plan process
to bring them into alignment with MEPI priorities and
objectives. Walsh strongly encouraged Post management to
establish a separate subcommittee for Women's Pillar programs
(Note: Women's issues are currently managed by Post's
Democracy Pillar Subcommittee. Post will enact Walsh's
recommendation shortly. End Note).


3. Walsh met with Zineb Benjelloun, the UN Development Fund
for Women (UNIFEM) Counselor for the Maghreb. Benjelloun
described the history of the women's movement in Morocco,
from its nascent days when independent women's rights groups
broke away from political parties to its influence and
involvement on the Royal Commission that eventually developed
the Moudawana (family) code reforms enacted in 2004. UNIFEM
had discreetly supported these efforts through first legal
literacy training and then "legal religious literacy"
training. UNIFEM's approach has been to assist with a
communication strategy so that women's groups could influence
and motivate the "closed process" that resulted from early
demonstrations against family code reforms. Benjelloun
provided Walsh with a copy of a UNIFEM-sponsored publication
(done in conjunction with Collectif 95 Maghreb Equalite),
"Manual for Equality in the Maghreb," which contains 100
measures of women's empowerment. UNIFEM has now shifted its
focus to supporting implementation of the new family code,
including promoting programs on communication, awareness
training, and mass media. Benjelloun estimated that there
were about 20 to 25 effective women's NGOs in Morocco, but
was highly optimistic about smaller NGOs emerging in the
regions. Looking forward, Benjelloun recommended that MEPI
investigate assisting women in the region with economic
empowerment, characterizing it as the missing piece from
previous efforts and a linchpin of the overall effort to
better the lives of women.


4. Walsh and Poloff visited the offices of World Learning
and met with Project Director Rachida Afilal. Afilal
described World Learning's three distinct program's under
their USD 777,000 MEPI SPA grant: activities initiated by the
Rabat Office, programs developed with partner NGOs in four
regions of Morocco, and a subgrants program with seven
different NGOs. While enthusiastic about the initiatives,
Afilal expressed frustration with some aspects of the
program's management, particularly the level of support and
coordination she had received from World Learning
headquarters. Noting that the original proposal of 18 months
was reduced to 12 months, she had requested a no-cost
extension from World Learning but had not received a reply.
In addition, World Learning had not transferred grant
payments in a timely manner, leading Afilal to forgo two
months salary to meet operating costs such as rent. The
payment situation had also led to delays in the subgrant
programs, a situation further complicated by the need for her
staff to translate the grants agreements. Walsh expressed
concern that the situation was having a negative effect on
the subgrantees' view of MEPI and promised to investigate
once she returned to Washington.


5. Over lunch, Walsh and Poloffs met with representatives of
the American Bar Association (ABA). ABA is in Morocco on
both USAID-Administered MEPI and DRL-funded grants. Richard
Paton, ABA's Regional Director, and Martha Dye, Manager of
ABA's Women and Law Program, described ABA's projects in
Morocco, particularly on the training of family court judges.
Paton and Dye also offered suggestions and views on future
MEPI Women's Pillar Programs in the legal sphere, noting in
particular that increasing training programs for family court
judges could be an effective area for further U.S.
assistance.


6. During a visit to the offices of TANMIA, Executive
Director Karl Stanzick described the NGO's efforts to create
a virtual space for Moroccan NGOs on the internet. The
TANMIA website, partially funded by a MEPI SPA grant, allows
NGOs to share information on programs and opportunities and
exchange best practices. The website's features include
moderated discussion boards and pages for posting
announcements and offers of employment. TANMIA is now
looking at sustainability methods such as advertising,
sponsorship, and fee for service arrangements. TANMIA will
also open approximately five regional service centers by the
end of June. The service centers will provide internet
access to NGOs in remote regions. Stanzick noted that the
webportal had in fact given smaller, rural NGOs the ability
to compete with the larger established NGOs in the
Rabat-Casablanca corridor.


7. Finally, Association Joussour briefed Walsh on the results
and impact of their highly successful Moudawana Theater
project, funded partially through a MEPI Small Grant and
recently featured in MEPI RO Tunis' Newsletter. MEPI funding
allowed Joussour to expand their performances and discussion
sessions to 12 additional venues (which were in rural areas
at Post's recommendation). Audiences averaged 100 to 400
people and while dominated by women also had a good mix of
children and men. Joussour was somewhat disappointed at the
turnout of working women and would like to target that
segment in future programs. Joussour representatives told
Walsh that they are eager to apply for follow-on MEPI funding
to continue the Moudawana theater initiative and are looking
at other possibilities for increasing their efforts. They
are now investigating developing proposals to re-energize a
women's counseling center in Rabat's medina that is now
dormant due to lack of funding, job training projects,
television programs, legal literacy training, and expanding
the Moudawana theater abroad. Walsh encouraged the dynamic
leaders of Association Joussour to continue to refine and
develop their proposals and in particular to focus on ways to
expand the play.


8. NEA SA Walsh did not have the opportunity to clear this
cable before her departure from Morocco.
RILEY