The Facts:

Country: Morocco, Casablanca
Launched: 1993
Partners: Nike, Marocaine Sport & Développement (AMSD)
Objectives: To use running as a tool for gender equality and empowerment of women within Muslim society
Program Highlights:

• 25k+ Moroccan women uniting to run the 2007 Courir pour le Plaisir – a 10km race
• Smiling faces and sense of sheer elation as the women completed the run
• Annual Nike Gender Equity in Sport Summit promoting equality for African, Muslim & Arab women

Nawal El Moutawakel, is not only the first Muslim and African female Olympic champion, but she is also a modern day hero in her own right. Humble in nature, she is not one to sit back and feed off her success, instead this woman has dedicated her life to inspiring and empowering other women to do the same as she.

The Association Marocaine Sport et Développement (AMSD) was developed by Nawal with the hope of empowering women and youth through sport.

She explains, “Growing up as an athlete, I realized just how much of an impact sport had in my life and in shaping who I became. I wanted to give that opportunity to young people and women in Morocco.”

Using sport as social and professional tool, Nawal promotes health and well being, and uses sport to educate and promote respect, dignity and women’s rights.

The AMSD program encompasses the Courir pour le Plaisir (Run for Fun), an annual women’s 10km run in Casablanca. It is one of the largest sporting events for African women.

”I started the event in order to showcase the spirit, power and solidarity of women participating in sport. I wanted to give women a day to be able to freely participate in sport together and this run was a perfect way to do that,” says Nawal.

The first race in 1993 attracted about 1,500 women and by the 9th race, participation numbers grew to more than 25,000 with women ranging from 15-to-75 years old.

Nike supported the race for the first time in 2005, through cash and product donation. In 2006 Nike held their first Gender Equity in Sport summit in Casablanca to coincide with the race. The summit aims to bring together gender equity in sport organizations to help discuss and fight the inequality that African, Muslim and Arab women still face each day.

The work Nawal does is quite progressive, especially in Africa, where girls and women don’t have the same opportunities as boys and men, especially in sport.

Both Nike and Nawal believe if African women and girls are given more opportunity to participate in sport, the benefits will be beyond measure. Sport not only improves physical and mental well-being but also develops self-esteem, character, confidence, personality and serves as a way to communicate with, educate and empower women.

Visit www.nikewomen.com and vote for Morocco – Casablanca Women’s Run if you think this program deserves a grant from Nike.

To learn more about the Association Marocaine Sport et Développement (AMSD), visit the site here.