Meet Saida

Coopérative Femmes de Marrakesh
Founded in 1994
Craft: Embroidery

Unable to find a job after graduating, Saida decided to join a local co-op and put her skills to use. Upon entering this organization, she was quick to realize that many of the women had not finished school and were unaware of the possibility that laid dormant within their craft. Saida rose to the occasion, taking on management and leadership positions within the group, and dreamt big. She was determined to connect the various female co-ops in her community and bring their talents to the international market, with an emphasis on uniting women and girls suffering from both prostitution and poverty. She has since founded the Réseau des Femmes Artisanes, a network dedicated to improving and empowering female artisans -- socially and economically -- by sending them to trainings and exhibitions and helping them increase their products’ visibility.