The Women's Tribune was born in March 2009 in Essaouira, thanks to the will of the women of Morocco and its founder Fathia Bennis supported by André Azoulay, Advisor to His Majesty King Mohammed VI whose thought had already turned towards women in 2003. Thus, for five years already, the Women's Tribune has been celebrating the commitment of women in the construction and consolidation of the political, economic and social systems of the Mediterranean rim. More than a space for dialogue, consultation and exchange for all these women of the Maghreb, Africa, the Arab World and the Mediterranean, the Women's Tribune is also a framework of visibility for those who fight, create, campaign and whose daily action is done in silence. Always more present and committed, these women of the Mediterranean and Africa need spaces to exchange, debate and testify to their common experiences. And that is exactly the goal of the Women's Tribune: to propose a platform open to all, men as well as women, to reflect together on solutions to the difficulties that women may encounter in their quest for equal opportunities.

"It is indeed a question of making their voices, their approaches, and their concrete proposals heard in order to advance in the construction of a more just society capable of adapting to the challenges posed by the future," adds Fathia Bennis, president of the Women's Tribune association. After having evoked in 2009 the links between education, economy and politics and addressed in 2010 women and power, from discourse to action, then analysed in 2011 the commitment of women to good governance, Women's Tribune then took an interest in 2012 in the relationships between women and society by linking the observations made to concrete action. "This edition is however marked even more than the others by the relevance of the political context in which we find ourselves, on the eve of the regional elections scheduled for 2015," stressed Fathia Bennis.

This fifth edition, placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, will have the ambition to propose a space for exchanges around the theme of "Regionalisation in the feminine". Several political and economic personalities as well as representatives of civil society will debate for two days, to discuss the promises, assets and issues linked and will therefore enrich the debates with their respective experiences. The first day will be devoted to the discussion around the different models of decentralisation and regionalisation in the world and will pose the essential question of the place of women in this process. The second day, for its part, will return to the specificity of the American regionalisation model, but also to the new ways of participation for women via the educational and sports network. To shed light on this vast project, this edition is committed to multiplying cross-views to enrich our vision on successful experiences elsewhere in the world. Thus, a panel of experts will establish a global panorama of decentralisation and regionalisation experiences concerning the specific place and role of women.

In the same way, a round table will detail certain specific feedback on the organisation of powers, regionalisation and the place of women. Several representatives of NGOs, foundations and national and international associations invited will evoke the important role they have to play in regional development, as well as educational and sports infrastructure, which remain important for establishing a territorial network at the service of women. Beyond the syntheses provided by eminent specialists, exchanges with the public remain privileged moments to make the needs, demands and questions of civil society heard, warmly invited to participate in these meetings, as was the case during previous editions.

"It is indeed the goal that guides the action and approach of Women's Tribune: to share with citizens the knowledge and enlightened experience of experts to contribute to reflecting, all together, on the implementation of the political, social, economic milestones that will consolidate the place of women and thus contribute to ensuring the balance of the entire society," concludes the president finally. A "success-story" in the feminine Doctoral student in International Economic Relations, the professional career of Fathia Bennis is distinguished by a succession of high positions of responsibility in Morocco.

She very quickly imposed herself in a traditionally masculine environment: that of economy and finance. First a senior executive at Bank Al-Maghrib, she then took on, among other things, the management of sensitive files such as the IMF and the restructuring of the national monetary market.

From 1998 to 2000, she became the first female director general of the Casablanca Stock Exchange and then accepted to take on the role of director general of the O.N.M.T.

She is currently chairwoman and chief executive officer of Maroclear, the central securities depository in Morocco. Her investment in civil society is just as remarkable: she is also a member of eleven associations, including the Women's Tribune, her exceptional career has earned her numerous honours, including the no less coveted Knight of the National Order of Merit of the French Republic.