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In Italy, Rachida Mezyaoui is one of the pioneering Moroccans in community work and the defense of family and children's rights, particularly in connection with issues of immigration and social integration. Thanks to her rich academic and professional experience, she has succeeded in combining social action with legal and anthropological studies, which has given her a central role in interventions focused on family cohesion.
Born on December 29, 1976, in Fqih Ben Saleh, Rachida earned her bachelor's degree in private law at the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences of the Moulay Ismaïl University of Meknès, then a master's in «religion, culture, and migration» at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences of Mohammed V University of Rabat. She initially considered continuing her studies in France before fate decided otherwise. In 2002, she joined her family in Italy, where she attempted to continue her studies. Faced with administrative obstacles, she had to repeat a year to complete her studies.
«This temporarily distanced me from studies and university, so I immersed myself in the working world, but at the same time, I got involved in community action», she told us. In the host country, Rachida worked alongside Italian students, professors, and some Palestinians to promote the Palestinian cause within the «Palestinian Movement Group».
«We worked to support the Al Amal school in the Aida camp in Jenin. For me, it was an extension of my years in scouting in Morocco, where I was an educational leader within the Scouts Mohammadis. I participated in many training sessions organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which were intended at the time for educational leaders.»
Social action for the integration of workers and families
Subsequently, Rachida joined the CISL union to help foreign workers, providing them with legal and social support to protect their professional and social rights. But the dream of completing her studies continued to haunt her. She eventually succeeded in obtaining a master's in family mediation in the city of Parma. «I then worked to obtain a recommendation and open a branch in Italy of the organization Hna Wahed for the defense of territorial integrity and development, which has many branches in Morocco and around the world», she recalls proudly.
«We carry out several activities, including raising awareness of the national cause and Moroccan culture, helping Moroccan and Arab immigrants in general to solve the problems they face, in addition to supporting integration within Italian society», describes the activist, who still finds the desire to complete her studies and specialize in issues of migration and childhood.
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«The education of children by protecting their link with their identity from the country of origin was among the issues that personally concerned me, as well as most immigrant mothers. The phenomenon of removing minors from their families under the pretext of being subjected to psychological, physical, or economic violence by their relatives has been a driving force for me, first as a mother and then as a Moroccan woman», she confides to us.
Rachida then decided to join the University of Padua to pursue her studies in a master's in «European Islam», then she enrolled in a master's in «religion, culture, and migration» at Mohammed V University of Rabat. «It is a specialized program oriented towards nationals from immigration, in partnership between the university and the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME). It was an opportunity for me to deepen research on the subject of migration and children, through the accumulation of 20 years of migratory experience», describes the researcher.
As part of this training, Rachida dedicates her master's thesis to the «removal of minor children from Moroccan families in Italy – Emilia-Romagna region – a model of socio-anthropological approach».
«This academic work has greatly helped me to understand the ins and outs of the phenomenon. I was motivated to complete this academic journey and join the doctoral cycle in the future, to continue scientific research on migration and children's issues worldwide, and not just in Italy».
Raising awareness of the balance between country of origin and host country
Rachida believes that preserving Moroccan cultural identity is one of the fundamental means of protecting children against a certain alienation due to the loss of reference points. That is why she has worked to raise awareness and introduce the second generation to national cultural components, to strengthen the bonds of belonging to the family and society.
In this same sense, the researcher and activist also works to help immigrant mothers develop educational approaches with their children. On her scale, she contributes to solving the problems of families at risk of having their children removed due to complaints of psychological or physical violence, while allowing them to establish a certain stability and cohesion.
Today, Rachida Mezyaoui is also a founding member of the International Academy of Moroccan Women Abroad, which brings together highly qualified female talents.
