Bochra Laghssais, a 24-year-old Amazigh Moroccan, has been awarded the “Research and Gender Award” in its VI edition for her masters’ dissertation in the International Studies program on Peace, Conflict and Development Studies at Jaume I University in Spain. The ceremony was held virtually and organized by The Equality Unit of Jaume I University in collaboration with the Isonomia Foundation, which aims to promote and recognize research and teaching activity in the field of Women’s Studies, Feminism, and Gender.
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“I am honored to receive this award; it’s the fruit of a lot of hard work and perseverance. It motivates me to continue my Ph.D. studies,” said Bochra.
Before Bochra Laghssais moved to Spain to continue her masters’ studies, she completed her bachelor’s in English Studies at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, which included a semester abroad with the Erasmus+ mobility program at the University of West Bohemia in the Czech Republic.
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Besides studying, Bochra is storyteller, writer, researcher, and advocate for girl’s education and women’s empowerment. She has worked with Project Soar, a nonprofit in Morocco, as coordinator and mentor to support girl’s schooling and empowerment. In addition to collaborations as a counterpart with U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers in many projects on youth development, Bochra was part of the Michelle Obama initiative Let Girls Learn, through which she was invited to represent Moroccan girls’ education at the White House in 2016.
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When we asked her to whom she would dedicate this achievement, she replied: “I dedicated this prize to my mother and grandmothers who never went to school yet know the value of and fought for my education. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for their love, sacrifice, determination, beauty, and legacy.”
Follow Bochra Laghssais on Twitter: @BLaghssais
