Conclusion

Women in Maâmar occupy an important place expressed through the traditional organizations of douars. In parallel with this village structure, other more modern forms (cooperatives, associations, groups) were born in this space. Despite their roles and organizational efforts, women are not fully involved in the emergence of modern organizations. For being a source of innovative change, organizational processes must integrate various factors related to the position of women in the community and relationships they undertake with men. The use of a gender perspective in the implementation and consolidation of modern organizations can lead to a sustainable improvement for women and a qualitative shift in their status in the society. Indeed, policy makers and developers need to know what are these traditional

institutions, how they work, who uses them, the place, role and voice of women in the public space, etc.To provide greater participation of women, it would be appropriate to take into account their levels of participation and inclusion in social cohesion, social capital and institutional capital. Life in the rural areas of the Middle Atlas is often incarnated in its traditional

institutions: should we not understand, analyze, study according to gender and integrate them into different development processes? Behind these questions, a deeper problem emerges beyond the scope of this arti-

cle: Is the ‘classic’ form of development projects appropriate to trigger processes of empowerment? Is the intervention of a development projects as it unfolds always the most

appropriate response to the problems and the needs of women involved? Is it still relevant in light of the social dynamics and the changing context? Such questions can better reflect the complexity of development processes and

the systemic environment in which they operate. This dynamic toward more empowerment should be developed based on a multitude of influencing factors identified mainly from culture and respect for the social dynamic that exists in and manages the life of local populations. The article presents itself as a plea for taking into account sociocultural realities

of the areas benefiting from intervention projects. It is also a call to renew pproaches and methods to take into account gender and

the social and cultural dimension of development. And a general orientation to a development more appropriate to people’s needs and less destructive of the fundamental principles of cultures and beliefs that give meaning and richness to life.