The Moroccan authorities have expressed commitment towards ensuring women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Morocco’s minister of economy and finance, Nadia Fettah, said this on Tuesday in Marrakech at an “Africa Inspired” event on the sidelines of the 2023 World Bank/IMF annual meetings.

Ms Fettah said that the revolutionary leadership of the late King of Morroco, Hassan II, and consolidated by reigning King Muhammad VI, had set the stage for gender parity.

“Their vision has paved the way for ground-breaking reforms, and this annual meeting presents an opportunity to centre the discussions on women,” she said.

Also speaking, Nigerian media entrepreneur, Mo Abudu, said that her foray into the media made her realise the importance of giving a voice to the voiceless.

According to Ms Abudu, who is the chief executive officer of EbonyLife Media, “we have been so quiet, and the world does not know who we are except for their own version of who they think we are.

“The world is not ready for Africa, we have to make them ready. It is important for us to tell our stories in the most positive manner, ” she said.

Ory Okolloh, a Kenyan pro-democracy activist and a partner at Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, a pan-African capital firm, said that she started off as a blogger, telling stories.

“I was obsessed with the role of technology in democracy, in transparency and expansion. I started a parliament-watch group in Kenya, which is very well known now across the world.

“My journey started by thinking about how technology could empower young people, especially we the women and give us an opportunity to transcend a very limited physical wall, ” she said.

According to Lamia Tazi, the CEO of Sothema Pharmaceutical company in Morocco, the advent of COVID-19 made it clear that the health sector in most African countries was stressed.

“We discovered that virtually all African countries did not have the capacity to provide the necessary pharmaceutical products for their citizens.

“Morocco had the chance to be able to produce medicines 50 years ago, through the support of late King Hassan II, and now King Muhammad VI who motivates the pharmaceutical companies by protecting the manufacturers.

“We intend to expand our plants across all African countries,” she said.

The managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, said that Africa Inspired was a forum through which female achievers were brought together to inspire other young women.

Ms Georgieva said that as the World Bank/IMF annual meetings were holding in Africa for the first time in 50 years, it was proper to look for inspiration for young women in Africa.

(NAN)