Description
Although in many ways, Morocco is a modern 21st century country, much of it, especially the rural and slum areas, still has a very traditional attitude to the role of women. Married young, predominately into arranged marriages, women can become bound to their new family, rarely participating fully in society.
Reforms to family law mean that Moroccan girls today face a more progressive future than their mothers' generation. The minimum age for marriage for girls has recently been raised to 18, which it is hoped will allow more girls to continue education longer. However, while this may be having an impact in large cities such as Casablanca, in rural areas social change and economic development is happening much more slowly. . They still have less opportunity to go to school than boys and are often left helpless at the lack of control they have over their own lives.
To address these issues, the Association Marocaine Sport et Développement and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation have launched a project outside Casablanca, which focuses on actively encouraging young women to take part in sport. The objective of Courir pour la Vie is to increase the confidence and independence of rural Moroccan girls through sporting activities and workshops so that they have the resources to continue their own education, to build self-confidence and recognise their own worth. Additionally, the project aims to increase awareness amongst local dignitaries of the importance of engaging in sports for young girls.
A pilot version of the project began in January 2007, targeting six schools and involving 180 girls. The girls, aged 12-15, took part in a programme that consisted of sporting and citizenship activities, covering subjects such as women's health, women's hygiene and nutrition. The culmination of this pilot phase came in May 2007 when girls from the project competed in the Courir pour le Plaisir Women's Race in Casablanca - founded by Laureus World Sports Academy member Nawal El Moutawakel - one of the largest female sporting events in Africa and the Arab world, with 25,000 runners.
Following successful completion of the pilot scheme, the Association Marocaine Sport et Développement will train teachers to administer sport and life-skills activities in select schools. The project will run for ten months each year during which fitness and physical agility are promoted during the sporting activities, which include athletics, basketball, volleyball, handball, rugby, martial arts and dance. Equally important are the life-skills of teamwork, independence and self-determination that the project gives to those girls who participate. The project will impact on the lives of thousands of girls over three years.
At the end of the project each year, a number of girls are chosen to run in a special girls' version of Courir pour le Plaisir. This is an exciting opportunity for the girls, many of whom have never left their own village, to visit the city of Casablanca. It provides them with an incentive to push their own limits, broaden their horizons while increasing their self-esteem and making them feel special and integral in society.