Youth Day in Morocco

Youth Day is a public holiday in Morocco on August 21, the birthday of the reigning monarch, Mohammed VI of Morocco.

Morocco Was Founded By A Relative Of Prophet Muhammad. Idris I founded the Idrisid dynasty that prepared the base for the establishment of Morocco as an independent state in the future. Idris I was Prophet Muhammad’s great-great-great grandson. In 786, Idris I took refuge in Morocco after escaping from the battlefield of the Battle of Fakhkh.

Although youth represent huge expectations and great prospects for the future of their societies, the socio-economic situation of this category in Morocco is rather grim, leaving a lot to be desired in terms of basic needs, such as healthcare, education, and employment. According to World Bank figures, “young people in Morocco make up to 30% of the population, and one tenth of the region’s total youth population” (Hoel, 2012). Nonetheless, despite representing a large segment of Moroccan society, young people are victims of social exclusion with 49% of Moroccan youth neither in school, nor in the workforce. Such a plight is corroborated by the High Commission for Plan, or HCP, which shows that 20.6 % of young Moroccans aged between 15–24 are unemployed (2012).