In a small village on the coast of southern Morocco, women gather in a house to create collaborative works of textile art, and also earn a living.

Several hunch over large canvasses, embroidering their latest piece at the women-only workshop, in the village of 400 people. Some of their works have been shown internationally.

"This project has changed my life," said Hanane Ichbikili, a 28-year-old former nursing student turned project creative director.

"And yet I had never held an embroidery needle before," she told AFP.

Just 19 percent of Moroccan women hold steady jobs, according to official figures, and in rural areas they are particularly affected by poverty, unpaid labour and a lack of opportunity.

An artist with roots in both Morocco and France has tried to make a difference.

Margaux Derhy founded the workshop in 2022 in her father's native village of Sidi........

© Al Monitor