Moroccan carpet makers, particularly women in the Atlas Mountains, are fighting for fair wages as they continue to face exploitation by middlemen.
While traditional Moroccan carpets often fetch high prices in European markets, local artisans like 63-year-old Aicha in the village of M’rirt earn as little as 20 euros per carpet. The stark contrast between these low earnings and the inflated profits of middlemen and European webshops highlights a deep inequality in the distribution of profits.
To address this issue, new digital platforms such as Tayri and Anou are offering innovative solutions. Tayri, founded by Belgian-Moroccan Fatima Zohra Ait El Maati, enables women artisans to sell directly to customers in Europe, cutting out the middleman and allowing makers to retain more control and increase their income.
Similarly, Anou empowers artisans to present their products online and connect directly with customers worldwide. Anou’s director, Hamza Cherif D’Ouezzan, emphasizes that artisans are co-owners of the platform, eliminating their dependence on external parties.
Despite these positive developments, the sector faces significant challenges. While the Moroccan government acknowledges the craft sector’s importance, regulations lag behind, and many artisans still earn less than the minimum wage. Furthermore, a lack of financial literacy leaves artisans vulnerable to exploitation, and the lack of oversight in European online shops that claim to support fair trade exacerbates this issue.
However, with direct market access and the ability to set their own prices, many artisans are already seeing an improvement in their earnings. Digital platforms not only provide a solution to the financial disparity but also help future-proof Morocco’s traditional crafts. Nevertheless, the younger generation’s growing disinterest in these crafts poses a long-term challenge for the sector’s sustainability.
