Morocco Urged To Invest In Youth

By Siham Ali in Rabat
for Magharebia

Young demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during a protest calling for economic and social reforms in Rabat on March 23, 2014 [AFP/Fadel Senna]

The United Nations is encouraging Morocco to seize the opportunity offered by its young people. The issue was at the heart of a recent workshop in Rabat.

United Nations Population Fund (FNUAP) representatives presented a report, titled “The Power of 1.8 Billion” (for the number of people worldwide between the ages of 10 and 24), at the January 22nd event.

Morocco has more than 9 million people aged 15-24, or 27 per cent of the population. The fund’s representative in Morocco, Mieko Yabuta, stressed the need to take advantage of this time-limited but rich resource.

According to Yabuta, the kingdom should invest in health, education and employment for young people to ensure their participation in society and the protection of their rights.

Driss Guerraoui, the secretary-general of the Moroccan Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), pointed out that young people were a catalyst for wealth creation.

“This is a real demographic godsend. Young people are stakeholders in our country’s economic and social development. As a result, we need to invest in our young people and make youth policy a priority area in all development strategies,” he said.

Sociologist Karim Chaouini said that it was time to address the most urgent problems concerning young people – namely by securing a joint approach from all Maghreb countries. He cited unemployment as the top obstacle for youth.

As Abdelilah Yacouba of the FNUAP told participants at the Rabat workshop, the unemployment rate in North Africa had reached 24%.

“The UN’s statistics show that the youth unemployment rates in North Africa and the Middle East have been the highest in the world over the past 20 years,” he noted.

Morocco has made improvements, particularly in health and education, but problems remain – including the low rate of school attendance among girls in rural areas and the illegal marriage of minors (35,000 cases in 2013), Yacouba said.

“The appropriateness of the choices made by the politicians will be a determining element in the emergence of an active youth sector that can bring huge added value on the socioeconomic level,” the UN official added.

Young Moroccans agree that much must be done to improve their situation.

According to student Hind Tabri, 20, young people are only a priority in political speeches. The reality is quite different, she tells Magharebia.

“I dream of the day when the voices of young people will be heard in all areas, particularly in politics,” Tabri says.

“The employment strategy is taking a long time to appear,” she adds. “Young people don’t have enough places set aside for culture and entertainment. And even the education system doesn’t meet our aspirations.”