Celebrating women’s contributions to a healthy Mediterranean

Women at the helm of green entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean

Under the auspices of UNEP/MAP, the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention adopted in 2016 a Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan for the Mediterranean region.The UNEP/MAP’s Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP/RAC) provides support to Contracting Parties in its implementation, including through the Switchmed programme.

Switchmed is an initiative aiming to scale up social and eco-innovations in the Mediterranean through training to green business entrepreneurs and advocacy for a policy and regulatory framework conducive to innovation. The programme is implemented through a collaboration among UNEP/MAP – through SCP/RAC –, UNEP Economy Division and the EU (DG NEAR).

The SwitchMed Programme fosters women’s participation in economic life by promoting the creation of new business models and green jobs through the training and support of women entrepreneurs, the provision of services for women business development, networking activities and the facilitation of access to financing for women.

Women represent 38% of the Switchers, a community of inspiring green entrepreneurs and change makers in the Mediterranean region. In line with a methodology created by SCP/RAC, 21 women were among 48 green entrepreneurs selected to benefit from a cycle of mentoring and technical backstopping for the development of their businesses.

In Morocco, the SwitchMed Programme worked with women cooperatives located in the Oriental region of Morocco closely through the Association du Docteur Fatiha, as part of a pilot project implemented to prevent most common plastic marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea.  While creating new jobs for many women, the association contributed to safeguard handcraft heritage and the environment by producing and testing different durable carrier bags.

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