Tag Archives: méditerranée

Cooperation, a key factor to relaunch development in the Mediterranean following Covid-19

Posted on

The Covid-19 epidemic which has been shaking the planet since December has had a resounding health and economic impact in the countries of the Mediterranean basin, which are simultaneously confronted with the refugees crisis, political instability and the weakness of social protection systems. In a concise format of analysis, written in “Policy Brief” form, the Euro-Mediterranean Forum of Institutes of Economic Sciences (FEMISE) and the Center for Mediterranean Integration join forces, warn against the risks associated with COVID-19 and lay the foundations for a new path for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

42 billion dollars in losses in the Arab countries linked to the pandemic and 8.3 million people at risk of poverty… Initial estimates by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia give an idea of ​​the scale of damage caused by the pandemic, by containment measures and by the closing of borders which undermines the tourism industry.

Constantin Tsakas, general secretary of FEMISE

“In the MENA region, a 10% contraction in GDP could exacerbate the upward trend in poverty until reaching levels of 30 years ago … the current emergency could transform the many health, social and economic crises in a humanitarian crisis… ”writes Femise under the pen of its secretary general Constantin Tsakas.

Femise and the CMI have been working for decades on Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. As Econostrum had announced , the two structures have laid the foundations for a collaboration dedicated to finding new avenues of reflection, inviting researchers to make short and long-term proposals. Thus in the first analysis on ” Implications of the coronavirus crisis in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East“, Constantin Tsakas insists on the importance of relaunching regional cooperation in the fields of health and in key sectors.

 

Strategic choices to prevent a “pandemic of inequalities”

L’épidémie a un impact sanitaire et économique retentissant dans les pays du bassin Méditerranéen, confrontés simultanément à la crise des réfugiés, l’instabilité politique et à la faiblesse des systèmes de protection sociale. ©HCR

Indeed, the weight of the informal economy in the countries of the Mediterranean basin de facto deprives 65% of workers of any social protection. Among them, one finds 12 million refugees, mainly Syrians to be found in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey. ©HCR

“Central banks must continue to play their role, so far they have generally well reacted, by injecting the liquidity they had “, underlines the analysis which points to the little room for maneuvering in terms of budgetary revenues to support recovery and sectoral plans. According to the Brief, the digital sector, social entrepreneurship, social finance and access to basic healthcare are strategic choices to prevent a “pandemic of inequalities“.

Indeed, the weight of the informal economy in the countries of the Mediterranean basin de facto deprives 65% of workers of any social protection, leading to an increasing insecurity of these populations. Among them, one finds 12 million refugees, mainly Syrians to be found in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey … Fragile populations that are even more exposed to the coronavirus.

Regional initiatives, whether it be on tourism, renewable energies, digital transformation or education, deserve to be reinforced because they help countries to jointly tackle the challenges posed, concludes the Brief. The pandemic, which has highlighted the need to bring production closer to consumption centers in order to guarantee the supply of essential goods, also opens up new perspectives for intelligently rethinking production chains, for a better integration between the EU and the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries.

This first CMI-FEMISE Policy Brief, available here, paves the way for further analysis that will be explored throughout this series, highlighting the key role of cooperation in the Mediterranean.

 

Monday 6 July 2020
Article by  in partnership with Econostrum.
Subscribe to the Econostrum newsletter :http://www.econostrum.info/subscription/

Call for Policy Briefs “COVID-19 MED BRIEFS” (27 Juin 2020)

Posted on

The Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) and FEMISE announce the launch of the Call for a new joint Policy Brief series, to address the urgent issue of the COVID-19 socio-economic effects and impact on the EU-Mediterranean region

Marseille, 29th of May 2020 – The recent coronavirus crisis threatens the health, economies and societies of all countries. In Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries, the fight against the pandemic is even more complicated due to pre-existing structural rigidities. Cooperation and EU-Med strategies in key sectors are needed. Therefore, the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) and FEMISE join forces and launch their joint series of Policy Briefs called “COVID-19 MED BRIEFS”. A Call for Policy Briefs is open for all researchers with interest and knowledge on the subject. The first issue of this series is available today, launching the joint initiative.

This series of Policy Briefs will be produced to make a contribution towards the policymaking process by addressing the economic, social and welfare effects of COVID-19 on the EU-Med and how Mediterranean integration can be reinforced in order to overcome the crisis and trigger further transformation in the region.

The Call for the COVID-19 MED BRIEFS will include several rounds. The first round is now open and researchers have until June 26th to submit a Policy Brief for evaluation and potential selection.

The topic should be addressing the issue of the COVID-19 socio-economic crisis and its implication on the EU-Med (short and medium run), and identifying concrete policy actions pointing to solutions and ways forward.

Information on how to submit and the General Guidelines for the “COVID-19 MED BRIEFS” can be found here.

The first COVID-19 MED BRIEF, entitled “Implications of the coronavirus crisis in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East”, by Constantin Tsakas (FEMISE, IM), can be found here.

 

 

The Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) is a multi-partner platform where development agencies, Governments, local authorities and civil society from around the Mediterranean convene in order to exchange knowledge, discuss public policies, and identify the solutions needed to address key challenges facing the Mediterranean region. Members of the CMI include Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Spain, Tunisia, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, City of Marseille, the European Investment Bank and the World Bank Group, and the European External Action Service (EEAS) as an observer. Web: www.cmimarseille.org; Facebook: CMI Marseille; Twitter: @cmimarseille

Media contact : (Ms) Zein Nahas, Senior Communications Officer at the Center for Mediterranean Integration, 00 33 6 04677242, znahas@worldbank.org

 

FEMISE, Forum Euroméditerranéen des Instituts de Sciences Économiques (the Euro- Mediterranean Forum of Institutes of Economic Sciences), is a Euromed network that gathers more than 100 members of economic research institutes, representing the 37 partners of the Barcelona Process and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). FEMISE is coordinated by the Economic Research Forum (ERF), Egypt and Institut de la Méditerranée (IM), France. Its General Objective is to reinforce dialogue between stakeholders and conduct research on priority EuroMed issues. Web: www.femise.org Facebook: @FEMISEnetwork Twitter: @femisenetwork

Media contact : Dr Constantin Tsakas, General Secretary of FEMISE, 0033 4 91 31 51 95, c.tsakas@femise.org

COVID-19 MED BRIEF no1 : Implications of the coronavirus crisis in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East

Posted on

The recent coronavirus crisis threatens the health, economies and societies of all countries. In Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries, the fight against the pandemic is even more complicated. Cooperation and EU-Med strategies in key sectors are needed. Therefore, the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) and FEMISE join forces and launch their joint series of Policy Briefs called “COVID-19 MED BRIEFS” to pave the way for thematic analyses and policy relevant recommendations.

The first COVID-19 MED BRIEF, entitled “Implications of the coronavirus crisis in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East”, by Constantin Tsakas (FEMISE, IM), is available by clicking here.

Summary : The recent coronavirus crisis threatens the health, economies and societies of any country, regardless of its level of development. In the countries of the Middle East and of the Southern Mediterranean the fight against the pandemic is even more complicated. It must be done with limited healthcare and economic resources compared to other regions. In addition, it takes place in a social and geopolitical context which is unique in its divisions. This Brief suggests relaunching cooperation in the Mediterranean following the crisis and developing EU-Med strategies in key sectors. In this context, it provides reflections, on the short term and long term, to prevent a «pandemic of inequalities» in the region. It suggests opening-up access to healthcare for informal workers, investing in digital technology, rethinking production chains intelligently, supporting social entrepreneurship and reviewing the conditions for debt repayment for countries in the region. The purpose of this Brief is to pave the way for more thematic analyzes and prescriptions, which can be explored throughout this series produced jointly by the CMI and FEMISE.

This Policy Brief is produced as part of the series of Policy Briefs on « Responding to the Challenges of COVID-19 in the Mediterranean » that is undertaken in partnership between FEMISE and the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI).

THE NEXT SOCIETY launches the first Mediterranean Innovation Scoreboard, created by FEMISE

Posted on

THE NEXT SOCIETY launches the first Innovation Scoreboard suitable for Southern Mediterranean countries: 78 indicators that measure the innovation status in the region

Marseille, 7 May 2020 – While taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of the existing innovation indicators, FEMISE has created for THE NEXT SOCIETY, a Scoreboard of innovation that takes into account some of the particularities of the region while shedding light on the progress (or lack) achieved so far. 

The 78 selected indicators provide therefore accurate information on the level of performance of the Mediterranean countries regarding the regional context. Built on this scoreboard’s basis, a digital and interactive tool has been developed by ANIMA to make the data simpler to read, THE NEXT SOCIETY i-data. 

Innovation plays a crucial role in economic and social development. It is an important driver of growth, productivity, competitiveness, and job creation. It can also help to address some of the socio-economic challenges like health and poverty. As innovation is a collective performance in a large number of aspects and variables, measuring it cannot be done with one variable or indicator, but a collection of indicators, which are called a Scoreboard. THE NEXT SOCIETY, in its ambition to mobilise, promote and reinforce innovation ecosystems and economic development in the MENA countries has developed the first Innovation Scoreboard adapted to the region’s specificities thanks to the work of FEMISE, the leading partner in economic research.

Why a MED innovation scoreboard?

Due to the lack and difficulty of obtaining data, particularly in developing countries, only a few of existent scoreboards and innovation indicators include worldwide coverage. For the South Mediterranean Region, only selected countries are covered in some of the International Innovation Scoreboards, such as the Global Innovation Index (GII) and innovation indicators of the World Competitiveness Report (WCR). Only recently Egypt and Israel have been included in the OECD published Science, Technology and Innovation outlook. Moreover, existent scoreboards have not been adapted to reflect the progress (or lack) of the innovation in the South Med countries. In fact, it is argued that the indicators included to measure innovation were mainly designed for the developed and emerging markets’ economies and hence are not able to give a real picture of the progress and the challenges for the developing countries.

Given these concerns, THE NEXT SOCIETY decided to develop a MED-suited Innovation Scoreboard able to index and compare the innovation performance among the countries of the region. THE NEXT SOCIETY Innovation Scoreboard led by FEMISE is the first of its kind covering the MENA region and having been created by Mediterranean researchers.

THE NEXT SOCIETY MED Innovation Scoreboard

For this MED-specific scoreboard of innovation, FEMISE has selected some of the indicators that are the most relevant for the region. The 78 selected indicators provide therefore accurate information on the level of performance of the Mediterranean countries with regard to the regional context and include: (i) published data (secondary data) by international organisations, (ii) survey data (primary data) that was conducted by different organisations; (iii) and calculated data from raw databases. All data included have been referred with their source and the latest available year (an update is already ongoing with additional indicators).

The 78 indicators are classified according to the 3 main phases of the innovation measuring process:

– The Input stage: this is where the basic ‘ingredients’ of reaching an innovation system are put in place. This stage includes indicators related to the enabling environment, human capital investment and Research and Development.

– The Process stage: this is where all those ingredients work together in a defined environment: benefiting from opportunities and facing challenges. This stage includes indicators related to the use of advanced technology and awareness of the importance of training and R&D at the firms’ level, the level of high tech in the industry and the structural transformation at the national level, in addition to the adoption of business reforms.

– The Output stage: this represents the outcome of the innovation process and the different channels through which the innovative product or idea are diffused. This stage includes indicators related to the Innovative firms and their outputs, the performance of innovative products in the international markets and the degree of diffusion of knowledge and innovation.

For each of these stages, the list of indicators provides a collective way to measure the stage. They are grouped by category (Political and Institutional Environment, Infrastructures, Education, R&D, innovative firms and outputs, knowledge diffusion, …). It is important to know that among the 78 indicators in the scoreboard, some have not been used in any other scoreboards and have been specifically created and followed by FEMISE to develop THE NEXT SOCIETY MED Innovation Scoreboard. To consult the full list of indicators gathered on the MED Innovation Scoreboard, please click here.

THE NEXT SOCIETY i-data 

By making this scoreboard digital and interactive, THE NEXT SOCIETY aims at making this unique data accessible and comprehensive to the entire population of the MED countries, so that the user does not have to be an expert in the field to understand the issues exposed and to access research-issued information. i-data enables all users to seize the results of economic research and makes the experience of consulting economic data entertaining! Users will be able to:

  1. select the stage of innovation they are interested in and visualise for each category a chart bringing together the different indicators associated. 
  2. select the country (out of the 7 countries covered) they are interested in- by ticking or unticking them – to view their performance and display the regional average at the same time.

Check i-data, the scoreboard digital and interactive tool by THE NEXT SOCIETY!

For any question related to the methodology used, a particular indicator, a source or anything else, please contact us at welcome@thenextsociety.co.

To download the press release, click here

 

About THE NEXT SOCIETY

THE NEXT SOCIETY is an open community of changemakers, entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, NGOs, public and private innovation, research and economic development hubs from Europe and 7 Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia.

Led by ANIMA Investment Network, it aims at mobilising, promoting and reinforcing innovation ecosystems and economic development in the MENA region. To reach these goals, THE NEXT SOCIETY launched a four-year action plan (2017-2020), co-funded by the EU up to 90% for a global amount of EUR 7.8 million budget. It supports the emergence of talents and innovative leaders who will drive the next trends and usages by targeting startups, clusters and technology transfer offices to accompany their development. www.thenextsociety.co

About FEMISE

FEMISE, Forum Euroméditerranéen des Instituts de Sciences Économiques (the Euro-Mediterranean Forum of Institutes of Economic Sciences), is a Euromed network established in June 2005 as an NGO (under the French Law of 1901), following 8 years of activities. The network gathers more than 100 members of economic research institutes, representing the 37 partners of the Barcelona Process and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). FEMISE is coordinated by the Economic Research Forum (ERF), Egypt and Institut de la Méditerranée (IM), France. The Network aims to provide policy relevant research on issues of importance to the EU-Med region, establish dialogues between the different stakeholders and disseminate the outputs to the wider communities and Policy makers. www.femise.org

About ANIMA Investment Network

ANIMA Investment Network is an international economic development network that aims to work to the promotion and development of the Mediterranean. The ANIMA network brings together 80 members from 18 countries of the Euro-Mediterranean area, including national and regional investment promotion and economic development agencies, business federations, innovation centres, international investors and research institutes. ANIMA’s objective is to contribute to the continued improvement of the business and investment climate, as well as encourage shared and sustainable economic development in the Mediterranean. www.anima.coop

welcome@thenextsociety.co

www.thenextsociety.co

Join our newsletter

World Health Day: FEMISE initiative to face COVID-19 in the Mediterranean

Posted on

The coronavirus crisis threatens our health and, as a result, it also hurts our societies and our economies. But it offers us an opportunity to rethink our priorities and systems, to make them sustainable, inclusive, in line with the SDGs.

FEMISE contacted its researchers and partners but also young people from the Mediterranean, to remind everyone why investing in Health should be a priority. Protecting vulnerable populations who do not have access to medical care, ensuring better access to health information in countries where internet access remains limited, supporting the work done by women in the health sector, betting on education and human capital…

The Mediterraneans mobilized by FEMISE share their views in the above video.

with : Constantin Tsakas, Mohammad Abu-Zaineh, Leila Berrada Mnimene, Mariam Fadel, Raphaël Colombier, Karine Moukaddem, Myriam Ben Saad, Jamal Bouoiyour

FEMISE celebrates the World Day of Social Justice

Posted on

For FEMISE, pursuit of social justice is at the core of its mission for inclusive development in the Mediterranean and Africa. The recent publication of the FEMISE EuroMed report on the opportunities of Social Entrepreneurship for sustainable development in the region is just one recent example of this commitment.

In the video below created for this day, FEMISE mobilized researchers, young people and partners of the network to discover their views and actions for Social Justice.

Yasmine Fahim (ERF Programs Manager) stresses how the Economic Research Forum (ERF), a leading think-tank in the MENA region and co-coordinator of FEMISE, has always paid special attention to the issues of Equity and Inequality in the MENA region. First by creating the data infrastructure that would enable researchers to conduct the research. Then, by carrying out multiple research projects on issues such as inequality of opportunities, access to health, education and the labour market and many more. Finally, ERF is producing capacity building initiatives and has invested a lot in enhancing the research capacity in this area, most notably by organizing training workshops where researchers from around the region are taught the most up-to-date research methodologies.

For Tallie Hausser (SciencesPo., Columbia University), her experience as a researcher in Lebanon and Tunisia has been eye-opening in that she has interacted with social justice activists found in unexpected places. The co-author of a recent FEMISE Policy Brief on the potential of Social Entrepreneurship highlights how in Lebanon, actors are creating job opportunities for Palestinian and Syrian women despite legal barriers, or working to solve local waste management crises through impact investing. In Tunisia, social justice activists use innovative financial models to engage the youth in skills development.

Constantin Tsakas, Yasmine Fahim, Tallie Hausser, Gwenda Haïkal, Ameerah Anathalee, Julie Harb

Others such as Ameerah Anathalee (University of Oxford) chose to explore the barriers women leaders face in developing countries. Drawing from data collected during interviews with women leaders in Uganda, she argues that some specific measures issued from western studies can have adverse effects on women’s leadership in developing countries. Furthermore, bottom-up solutions, which are tailored to the country’s socio-economic context, are essential. She adds that far more cross-disciplinary research is needed to inform how we seek to ensure women have a voice in all sectors, particularly in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector, where women play a pivotal role.

Meanwhile, Julie Harb (Université de Montréal) stresses the importance of promoting the rights of migrants in the region. Focusing on the case of Lebanon, she argues that their labour rights are not optimal, with a sponsorship system (kafala in Arabic) in which the legal status of a migrant depends on a sponsor (kafeel) for the entirety of their stay, making them vulnerable. The rights of youth also need to be better protected. With the current economic and financial situation, the country is witnessing a ‘brain drain” with the rise of migration among youth, with those aged below 20 years representing 46% of emigrants.

Such urgency to act for the youth is shared by Gwenda Haikal (CIFE) whose thesis subject focuses specifically on Street Children. She states that nowadays 30% of the population in Lebanon lives under the poverty while 5% panels 90% of the country’s wealth, this social inequality pushes minor children to go on the streets and work instead of following an educational path. She stresses that above all things, education is a golden key. Investing in these kids future is investing in the future of the country and region.

In their final statements, all actors converge towards a single conclusion : that it is up to all of us to act and make sure leaders, businesses and communities in the region truly fulfill their role for social justice.

 

Article by Constantin Tsakas

FEMISE Call for Policy Briefs – DL April 30th 2020

Posted on

FEMISE is inviting all researchers and experts to submit original Policy Briefs based on recent research conducted on policy, economic and security issues relevant to the EU-Med region and Africa.

Deadline for Submission is :

April 30th 2020

I. Introduction

Policy Briefs are essential communication tools that translate the findings and the recommendations of an academic research work into a simple and concise policy note that could be accessible by, not only the policy makers, but also the business community and the general public.

The choice of the topic is left open to researchers.

II. Eligibility 

  • The Call is open to both members and non-members of FEMISE.
  • The Brief could be a submitted by one or more authors.
  • Authors must be residents in a country of the EU-Med region

III. Theme and template of the Brief

  • The Brief should conform to the “FEMISE General Guidelines for Policy Briefs”
  • The Brief should be about 4 pages maximum (around 2000 words)
  • It should be done in simple and non-technical language and should include operational policy recommendations that are based on a solid research.
  • The topic should be related to the EU-Med region
  • It could include one or two figures/tables for illustration and a short selection of a maximum of 5 references.
  • It could refer to the research papers from which it may be issued.

IV. Submission and Evaluation process

Please submit your Policy Brief to contact@femise.org and in CC c.tsakas@femise.org with the subject: “Submission of a Policy Brief”

  • CV(s) of the author(s) should be submitted with the Brief as well as a short bio (that will appear on the brief if selected) of no more than 250 words
  • The evaluation will be based on the following criteria:

– the choice of the topic and how relevant it is the region

– the contribution to the existing knowledge

– the recommendation and policy relevance and their feasibility

– the style of writing

The selected Policy Briefs will be published under the FEMISE Policy Briefs Series “MedBrief” and in order of priority of the relevance of the topic.

FEMISE in the top100 “Think-Tank networks” for a second consecutive year !

Posted on

The FEMISE team is pleased to share that, for a second consecutive year, FEMISE is ranked among the 100 “best Think-Tank networks” according to the “Global Go To Think Tank Index” of the University of Pennsylvania (TTCSP), available here !

The “Go To Think Tank” is the result of an international survey of over 1,950 scholars, public and private donors, policy makers, and journalists who helped rank more than 6,500 think tanks using a set of 18 criteria developed by the TTCSP.

 

Meanwhile, two FEMISE reports have been included in the list of “Best Policy Study-Reports Produced by a Think Tank“, they are :

–  Private sector in the Mediterranean countries: Main dysfunctions and opportunities of social Entrepreneurship (2019),

by Pr. Patricia Augier, Dr. Constantin Tsakas, Pr. Sami Mouley, Karine Moukaddem, Jocelyn Ventura.


– Repatriation of Refugees from Arab Conflicts: Conditions, Costs and Scenarios for Reconstruction (2019),

by Dr. Ibrahim Elbadawi, Dr. Samir Makidisi, Dr. Semih Tumen, Dr. Belal Fallah, Dr. Roger Albinyana, Dr. Maryse Louis, Ms. Jala Emad Youssef.

 

 

FEMISE, with more than 105 members’ institutes, will continue producing high quality policy-oriented economic research, to have a real impact in the Mediterranean region.

Mediterranean: FEMISE shines a spotlight on Women and Young “Change Makers” 1/2

Posted on

On the occasion of the Emerging Valley summit, which was held on December 3-5 in Aix en Provence (France), FEMISE and Institut de la Méditerranée organized a workshop on women and young “Change Makers” in the Mediterranean region. Ecomnews Med was there and below are our highlights.

Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Egypt… Delegations came from all around the Mediterranean for this day. Women and young people, often both at the same time, were there to “exchange experiences” as notes Layla Al Qassim, who came from Amman for the occasion. First a reflection, drawn up by the Secretary General of FEMISE Dr. Constantin Tsakas “We observe inequalities on all fronts in the Mediterranean, however we also find that there are many women and young people who are carriers of real solutions”.

In line with what the Think Tank has been offering for several years now, FEMISE thus traveled to the Mediterranean countries to “identify Change Makers“, adds Dr Tsakas. The objective is to be present in the field to propose concrete solutions, to carry out Research-Action which promotes good practices while offering relevant recommendations. Evidently, in the image of the Med briefs produced by FEMISE, it is a question of proposing findings, ideas, reflections, which could be used for political decision-making for more inclusiveness in the Mediterranean.

Constantin Tsakas, Patricia Augier, Layla Al-Qasim, Karine Moukaddem, A’Laa Chbaro, Samah Ben Dhia, Hajar Khamlichi, Chiraz Karoui

“We need research that caters to the needs of populations”

During the numerous FEMISE trips, the Secretary General admits having met “many women who are carriers of solutions. These women and young people direct, support and finance projects that have a considerable economic and social impact on their communities, regions and industries. ” This is also where the idea for this workshop was born. The Think tank wants to put the spotlight on these different women “because we believe in success stories a lot” abounds Dr Tsakas. Layla Al Qassim for example (see video above) was able to discuss the various progresses made within the Landmark Hotels chain of hotels in Jordan, for which she is responsible for strategic engagement and sustainability projects, such as “the establishment of a free nursery accessible to all employees“.

An idea already in place in several American or Scandinavian companies, and which benefits employees and employers. The former have less distance to travel to drop off the children and are less stressed. The latter benefit from higher productivity, since the employee is less under pressure.

But it is above all a concrete and quickly applicable idea as “we need research close to the expectations of the population” underlines Karine Moukaddem, junior researcher at Beyond Reform and Development and political analyst attached to FEMISE. The Mediterranean sustainable development expert is convinced of this, research close to expectations allows “political actions that are close to the realities of the population“.

This observation is shared by A’Laa Chbaro, who also underlines the need to restore ambition in Mediterranean women and give them the confidence to get started. Skills development and knowledge sharing are key factors that the young 23-year-old entrepreneur, director of the MENA branch of the international association Impact the world, seeks to develop.

The workshop ultimately helped to build bridges and decompartmentalize worlds, as often with FEMISE, between research and application on the ground, because it is well known after all, experience and science always progress together.

In a second part of this article, we will focus on the speakers at the IM / FEMISE workshop who support initiatives led by women and young people in other fields, such as in environmental awareness and in the media.

by Sami Bouzid, 

Article produced in partnership with EcomNews Med.

Find all the information from the Mediterranean think tank by clicking here.

Moments from the IM/FEMISE workshop at EV2019 :Empowering Women and Youth Leaders in the Mediterranean and Africa (Dec 4th, TheCamp, Aix-en-Pce)

Gender Equality: FEMISE signs Altafemina’s Charter of Performing Diversity

Posted on

FEMISE was invited to the Altafemina Festival (November 26th, EuropaCorp Cinema, La Joliette, Marseille, France) and was honored to sign the Altafemina Charter of Performing Diversity. This charter values organizations (companies, associations, institutions) that engage and act concretely for diversity both during their events and in their governing bodies.

Constantin Tsakas (FEMISE, IM) & Samah Ben Dhia (Altafemina)

After a brief presentation of the activities of FEMISE, Dr. Constantin Tsakas (Secretary General of FEMISE, General Manager of Institut de la Méditerranée) emphasized that the signing of this charter is a first step to raise more awareness in the South of the Mediterranean on the question of gender diversity. FEMISE research has shown that women-owned businesses can even illustrate higher labor productivity. Nevertheless, Southern Mediterranean countries* are characterized by extremely low female participation rates. This rate is 29% on average and the gap with other regions in the world is considerable.

Thanking Altafemina for this honor, Dr Tsakas added that gender diversity is a strength for FEMISE, the administrative team is made up of both men and women, and more than 70% of the young “ChangeMakers” of FEMISE researchers are women. Above all, they are competent and dynamic people, regardless of their gender.

Dr. Tsakas also presented the activities of FEMISE that contribute to a culture of diversity and gender equality in the Mediterranean. Among them, he highlighted the recent partnership with Emerging Valley, in which FEMISE will mobilize young Mediterranean women who lead, support and / or finance projects with significant economic and social impact in their communities, societies and industries. More activities, including awareness-raising videos as part of a partnership with Altafemina, are expected in the following months.

 

FEMISE is a Think-Tank, a network of research institutes in economics, which produces research reports for policymakers on both sides of the Mediterranean. The network mobilizes more than 100 university centers from all over the Mediterranean on 4 thematic axes: Trade Integration, Private Sector Development and Innovation, Environmental Awareness and Development of new inclusive and sustainable growth models. The results of this research are disseminated through platforms that foster dialogue and policy debate among stakeholders, which include researchers, the international community and policy makers.

* Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Palestinian Territories