Get into Green

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the most climate-sensitive areas in the world. These countries experience exacerbated impacts of climate change, which weaken the sustainability and resilience of their ecosystems, societies, and economies, on which many local populations depend. The World Bank estimates the economic costs of environmental deterioration at 2.1% of the gross domestic product in Tunisia and the cost of air pollution at 5% of the annual GNP in Egypt. In other words, climate change and its consequences can exacerbate social disparities, marginalisation, and inequalities amongst vulnerable groups.

To address these challenges, many countries in the region are veering towards green economies by formulating policies for sustainable development, including renewable energies, sustainable transport, sustainable agriculture, waste management, water management. Such a transition will entail profound changes to the region’s economies and societies. However, it is necessary to include an inclusive approach to avoid leaving any social groups behind.

In this regard, the project Get into Green focuses on accelerating the digital, technologic, and green transformation of the Southern Mediterranean economies by supporting inclusive job training and entrepreneurship. This project aims to highlight the leverage that the digital economy and technology represent in accompanying the transitions of North African economies. Indeed, to avoid the development of an already existing digital divide, Get into Green emphasizes the inclusion of the most vulnerable populations from rural areas or low-income backgrounds so that they can familiarize themselves with and professionalize through these new skills.

Another main pillar of Get into Green is to counteract the underrepresentation, gender pay gap and undervaluation of women within the labour market. In the MENA region, only 19.77% of women participate in the labour force, the lowest rate globally. Additionally, the unemployment rate for young women in MENA stands at 42%. To this end, the project will support women of Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt in getting technical, soft, and digital skills in sustainable agriculture and technology, circular economy, and green industrial design.