The Maalmate

Women in rural Morocco traditionally created carpets as part of their dowry, expressing their own personalities in exuberant colors and patterns, and weaving symbols of their hopes for health and married life.

Today, women artisans (Maalmates) are mono- and macro-entrepreneurs who have grouped together in cooperatives, each specialized in a specific craft.

Just like male craftsmen, they continue to use ancestral techniques that ensure their creations endure over time.

From embroidery to the caftan, jewelry, weaving, carpets, cushions, trimmings and refined household linen, all of these craft skills have been handed down and refined from generation to generation by women whose creativity is astounding, and who fight every day to improve their socio-economic status.