Morocco: Government pledges about €100 million to support disabled children

The Moroccan Government pledged a €100 million package to support disabled children through grants and scholarships.

The move, part of the government’s policy to reduce social disparities, was announced by Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane who threw the Government’s full support behind the first Forum for people with disabilities held in Casablanca earlier this week.

Addressing the forum as keynote speaker, Benkirane promised grants and scholarships to Moroccan disabled children to enable them find their place in the society and promote their initiatives.

The Prime Minister however acknowledged the government’s failure to ensure that 7% of civil service posts are allocated for disabled people as initially pledged. This is due, he said, to economic slowdown and difficulties to identify these people and define their disabilities.

The Forum, organized by the Moroccan Hope Association under the umbrella of the Ministry of employment and Social Welfare, seeks to promote disabled people’s access to employment.

This first edition was attended by many employers and more than 2,500 disabled persons from across Morocco who were seeking to land a stable job or an internship.

The main aim of the forum was to break down some preconceived ideas about disabled people and foster their integration in the job market. It was also meant to educate recruiters and civil society about the importance of employing people with disabilities in the public and private sectors.