US embassy cable - 05RABAT1152

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