A group of schoolchildren in Casablanca have chosen to rename their school buildings after four inspiring Moroccan women.
The idea came from the student council at Claude Bernard Primary School. They wanted to do something practical to support gender equality and reflect the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The school realised that female role models were missing in many French international schools in the region. So the pupils turned to a book called Les Intrépides, which tells the stories of notable Moroccan women, to help them decide.
They picked four names. The buildings will now honour photographer Leïla Alaoui, mountaineer Bouchra Baibanou, activist Aïcha Ech Chenna, and business executive and long distance swimmer Nadia Ben Bahtane.
Ms Ben Bahtane, who became the first Moroccan woman to swim solo across the Strait of Gibraltar, said she was moved that the students led the project.
“If this can encourage even one young girl to believe in her dreams and dare to follow her own path, then it makes total sense,” she said.
Around 600 students study at the school. The hope is that seeing these names every day will give them simple, real examples to look up to.
