Empowering Girls through Community Engagement: A Socio-Educational Intervention in Rural Morocco

This communication outlines a comprehensive socio-educational initiative designed to tackle the obstacles encountered by primary and secondary school students in rural areas of Morocco, with a specific emphasis on girls who have been affected by violence and have dropped out of school. The research delves into the various barriers to education, such as socioeconomic disparities, cultural norms, and the impact of violence on academic achievement. A key initiative component involved actively engaging parents and families, recognizing their pivotal role in shaping educational outcomes.

Employing a participatory action research approach, we collaborated with local communities, teachers, educators, and NGOs to develop an intervention to foster an inclusive educational environment. This intervention encompassed establishing safe spaces for girls, training programs for teachers focused on gender-sensitive pedagogies, and community awareness campaigns to challenge prevailing stereotypes and norms that impede girls' education. Additionally, we implemented initiatives to engage parents, encouraging them to support their daughters' education and advocate for gender equality.

The data was gathered through qualitative interviews, focus groups, and quantitative surveys to assess the intervention's impact on school attendance, academic performance, and psychosocial well-being. The preliminary findings reveal notable enhancements in girls' school attendance and a decrease in reported incidents of violence within school environments. The active involvement of parents and families was correlated with increased community support for girls' education, indicating a shift in local attitudes towards gender equality.

This study underscores the importance of tailored socio-educational interventions in rural contexts. It emphasizes the need for sustained collaboration among stakeholders, including families, to ensure the long-term success of educational initiatives. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on gender equity in education, providing insights into effective strategies for mitigating the barriers faced by vulnerable populations in Morocco, especially in the rural areas.