Morocco-Bound: Teams from Bennett College and Salem College Explore Women’s Health and Culture

Greensboro, NC — A team of faculty, staff, and administrators from Bennett College, and partner institution Salem College, is Morocco-bound this June for a four-week educational seminar focused on the intersection of women’s rights, health, and culture in Moroccan society. The trip is funded through a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad (GPA) grant awarded to Bennett College by the U.S. Department of Education.

Bennett College, who authored and submitted the winning grant proposal, is joined by their partner, Salem College, for this immersive global learning experience. Recognized as a Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader for five consecutive years, Bennett continues to lead with distinction in international education and cross-cultural engagement.

The seminar—titled “Women and Health Equity in Morocco: Exploring the Relationships Among Moroccan Women’s Rights, Health, and Culture”—offers a transformative professional development opportunity for 14 participants from the two colleges. The program is directed by Dr. Anne C. Hayes, Executive Director of Global & Interdisciplinary Studies at Bennett College, and co-directed by Dr. Charlotte M. Vail, Assistant Professor of Leadership and Director of the Leadership Program at Salem College.

Throughout the four weeks, participants will engage with Moroccan midwives, doctors, nurses, herbalists, mental health professionals, and public health faculty. They will also meet with women’s rights leaders and NGOs, such as l’Union Féminine Marocaine and l’Organisation Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc, to better understand how gender, healthcare, and culture intersect across Moroccan society.

The team will spend two weeks on a guided experience with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), followed by two weeks coordinated by Mr. Sofyan Essarraoui, Bennett’s 2019–20 Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant from Morocco, who now serves as the In-Country Program Coordinator. In addition to site visits and organizational meetings, participants will receive Arabic language instruction and visit key historical and cultural landmarks to deepen their understanding of Moroccan identity.

“This initiative speaks to Bennett’s mission of educating women to lead with purpose in a global society,” said Dr. Hayes. “We’re preparing participants to return to their campuses and classrooms with new perspectives and a deeper understanding of health equity, women’s leadership, and global citizenship.”

The group’s experiences will culminate in a public event this fall—The Moroccan Women’s Rights, Health, and Culture Symposium—where they will present research, reflections, and educational strategies inspired by their time abroad.

Preparation sessions began in January. View one of the sessions to get a few international travel packing tips of your own.