UN Women and Nokia: A strategic alliance to connect women fishers in Morocco

"Before this training, I had never touched a computer." — Fatima Makhnass, President of the Moujat Belyounech cooperative.

In Belyounech, a small coastal village located on the Strait of Gibraltar, Fatima leads a women’s cooperative active in the fisheries sector, particularly in net mending and fishing. Each day, she fishes, repairs nets, prepares longlines, and takes part in seafood processing. Like Fatima, many women from M’diq, Martil, and Fnideq are engaged in fisheries-related occupations—ranging from artisanal fishing and aquaculture to scuba diving, seafood processing, and marketing.

In their daily activities, digital tools play an increasingly vital role—for administration, communication, and sales. However, access to digital resources remains limited for many women in the sector. According to the High Commission for Planning (2023), only 30.5% of rural women in Morocco use the Internet, compared to 52.3% of men. The gap is even wider in professional contexts: nearly 60% of men in cooperatives have received digital or financial training, versus only 23% of women.

A tailored programme to bridge the digital divide

In response to these inequalities, the UN Women Morocco Country Office and Nokia jointly organized a training initiative to strengthen digital inclusion for women fishers in the Tanger–Tétouan–Al Hoceïma region. This initiative is part of a global strategic partnership between Nokia and UN Women to harness technology to advance gender equality and  women’s empowerment.

Launched in February 2025 in Fnideq, the initiative began with a needs assessment workshop involving over 60 women fishers from eight local cooperatives. Participants shared their daily challenges, digital skill gaps, and expectations. Based on this input, a customized training programme was developed by Nokia Morocco volunteers in close collaboration with UN Women and implemented in June 2025.

A three-day workshop, structured around four complementary modules, was delivered to 65 women in June 2025. It focused on the use of digital tools in professional contexts, cybersecurity, soft skills, digital marketing, and content creation. Emphasis was placed on hands-on learning through small group coaching to encourage active participation.

"I sent my first email to invite other cooperatives to the awards ceremony, where ours was being recognized as the best cooperative in the Tanger–Tétouan–Al Hoceïma region. It was a simple gesture, but it allowed me to share our joy with others." — Ikram Yambour, President of the Basmat Al Bahriat cooperative, recently awarded by the Tetouan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The training also included sessions to build interpersonal and collective skills through workshops on self-confidence, effective communication, conflict management, and teamwork. These modules helped participants better understand their roles within the group, identify their strengths, and set personal and professional goals.

"We’ve learned to understand ourselves better—and to understand each other. This makes our work smoother and more effective." — Hayat Ghobra, scuba diving instructor and President of the Cordilia cooperative.

Another component of the training focused on the positioning and promotion of seafood products. Participants were introduced to marketing fundamentals such as branding, product segmentation, pricing strategies, and distribution channels. The training also covered product communication and visual promotion through practical exercises on creating digital content tailored for web platforms and social media.

"This training will help me structure our communication more effectively and support other women in telling a story behind each product." — Aya Alilou, Marketing Manager at Basmat Al Bahriat cooperative.

A tool for today, a lever for empowerment tomorrow

At the conclusion of the training, each participating cooperative received a laptop to support the application of newly acquired skills. This material support aims to improve administrative management, monitor activities, facilitate communication with partners, and enable participation in public calls for projects.

"Through this initiative, we are contributing to the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the Global Digital Compact, by reducing inequalities in access to technology and enhancing women’s active participation in the blue economy." — Myriem Ouchen Noussairi, UN Women Representative in Morocco.

This training programme contributed to the project “Support for the Economic Inclusion of Women in the Fisheries Sector,” implemented by the State Secretariat for Maritime Fisheries and the UN Women Office in Morocco, with support from the Government of the Balearic Islands.

"This initiative not only responds to a critical need for digital capacity-building but also reflects the strong commitment of the State Secretariat for Maritime Fisheries to promote the economic empowerment of women in the fisheries sector." — Ferdaous Mustapha, Delegate of Maritime Fisheries in M'diq.