Women constitute about 50% of Morocco’s population and yet they make up a mere 23% of the workforce. By improving employment opportunities for women through better economic value within the cosmetics industry, I hope it will empower some of the ten million unemployed women to join. We need to contribute to a more equitable future by creating an economy that empowers all of us to participate. Only then will we be a step closer towards closing the gender gap and strengthening Morocco’s economy.

Challenge: The cosmetics industry is a $1 billion dollar industry in Morocco, and hence provides fertile grounds for disrupting the labor market to create a more inclusive economy for Moroccan women. Currently, the average yearly salary for a cosmetologist in Morocco is only $6,850, placing it in the low income bracket for Moroccans. The average income in Morocco is $28,900. In Casablanca, a single person requires $14,200 per year to live comfortably which is twice as much as the average cosmetologist makes.

Outcome: My research highlighted that the lack of connectivity between customers and freelance beauty professionals results in unmet desires for consumers of beauty services, and an untapped potential of economic value for freelance beauty professionals. The solution: Dihya Beauty, a platform that connects beauty professionals to customers. Dihya will enable beauty professionals to make 3 times the average salary of a cosmetologist in Morocco, empowering them with higher economic value and independence.