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VIDEO: In Moroccan oases women watch plants and incomes grow | UN Women

Moroccan women are cultivating medicinal and aromatic plants, using sustainable methods and building income:

un womenAmid the expanses of sand and rock, the arid desert landscape is interrupted by a vibrant patch of greenery. Oases are natural sanctuaries around which communities are built, providing scarce water, food and refuge from the harsh surroundings.

More than 100 women living in oases in the south-eastern province of Errachidia have found a unique way to mitigate the effects of climate change on their environment by producing medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). UN Women, with the support of the UNDP Tafilalet Oasis Programme and the Swiss Cooperation, organized workshops on how to cultivate MAPs using renewable energy, while promoting the work of women. One result was the creation of an Economic Interest Group, which allowed the women to bring their products to the market in a more organized way.

Women like Atiqa Jorfi, Vice-President of the Aftawik association based in the rural community of Ghriss Essoufli, in Errachidia, have been empowered through the production and commercialization of these crops in oases, which constitute a natural barrier against desertification but are susceptible to degradation as a result of climate change…[FULL STORY]

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