WAFIRA project in Spain

The Women as Financially Independent Rural Actors (WAFIRA) project was an innovative circular migration initiative co-led by the Spanish Secretary of State for Migration and the International Labour Organization (ILO), with support from multiple stakeholders in Spain and Morocco.

The project officially began in October 2021. Its goal was to support the socioeconomic reintegration of Moroccan women who participate in Spain’s GECCO programme for seasonal agricultural work. WAFIRA placed strong emphasis on gender equality, local development, and female empowerment.

During its final year of implementation (2024–2025), the project focused exclusively on activities carried out in Spain, particularly in the region of Andalusia, where over 250 women from Morocco were employed during the strawberry harvesting season. These women participated in a comprehensive integration and training programme focused on entrepreneurship, business development, financial literacy, and personal empowerment. The aim was to provide them with the necessary tools to create and manage income-generating activities upon returning to their communities in Morocco.

This final phase built on the foundations laid in the earlier years of the project, contributing to a broader vision of transforming circular migration into a model of inclusive development. The project reinforced institutional cooperation between Spain and Morocco, while promoting the agency of migrant women as key development actors.

The goal of the WAFIRA project in its final year was to equip Moroccan seasonal workers in Spain with the skills and knowledge needed to become economically autonomous entrepreneurs. By focusing on the training and empowerment of these women during their stay in Spain, the project sought to increase the long-term benefits of circular migration for both the participants, their host communities and their communities of origin.

This phase of the project was designed to ensure that the temporary migration experience is not only beneficial in terms of short-term employment but also serves as a launchpad for sustainable economic initiatives once participants return home. The emphasis is on fostering autonomy, leadership, and confidence among women who have traditionally had limited access to such opportunities.

The primary beneficiaries of WAFIRA in Spain during 2024–2025 were 250 Moroccan women selected through the GECCO programme to work in the Andalusian agricultural sector, particularly in Huelva. These women benefitted from integration support, targeted training sessions and workshops designed to enhance their entrepreneurial mindset, business planning skills, and financial management capacities.

The secondary beneficiaries included the agricultural cooperatives and local institutions in Andalusia, which engage in the delivery of training and integration activities. Through their participation, these entities helped promote inclusive employment models and strengthen transnational cooperation on gender and migration.

During their stay in Andalusia, Spain, the women selected through the GECCO programme participated in a structured training and empowerment itinerary designed by the WAFIRA team. This itinerary was implemented with the support of Agro-Food Cooperatives of Andalusia and technical staff from the ILO. The process began upon the women’s arrival in Spain for the strawberry harvesting campaign. Once integrated into the agricultural workforce they were gradually introduced to the training component of the project. The training consists of in-person workshops focused on financial literacy, savings strategies, business idea generation, and basic concepts of entrepreneurship. Sessions also cover leadership development, women’s rights, and self-confidence building, using participatory and context-sensitive methodologies adapted to the group’s profile.

Each participant was supported in developing a tailored business plan based on her personal aspirations, economic background, and the market context in her community of origin in Morocco. The plans were developed with mentoring from Spanish trainers and technical specialists from the ILO. In some cases, local cooperatives or businesses in Spain served as role models, sharing their success stories and offering site visits to inspire the participants.

The sessions were designed to be practical and accessible, taking into account language and literacy levels. The training also created a space for mutual learning and emotional support among participants, which strengthened group cohesion and enhanced the sense of purpose in preparing for reintegration.

This training process was coordinated closely with ANAPEC and other Moroccan institutions to ensure alignment between what the women learn in Spain and the support they receive after their return to Morocco. Although the post-return phase is implemented in Morocco, this Spanish-based training is critical in laying the groundwork for the women's long-term economic empowerment.