Soumia Benkhaldoun, former Minister Delegate for Education from 2013 to 2015–and active Member of Justice and Development Party (PJD)–passed away at the age of 60 after a battle with cancer.
On Wednesday, Benkhaldoun’s brother posted the tragic news on his Facebook account while mourning his sister.
The departed, born in Marrakech in 1963, was a graduate of the Mohammedia School of Engineering (EMI). She became a professor at Ibn Tofail University in 1994 and held that position until 2006.
Benkhaldoun also served in the House of Representatives for two mandates (2002–2011) and chaired the Foreign Affairs, National Defense, and Islamic Affairs Committees.
In addition, the distinguished stateswoman was a member of the PJD Secretariat General, as well as the President of the Azzahra Forum for Moroccan Women, along with being a founding member of the World Women’s Federation for the Defense of Territorial Integrity, and the head of the Mawadda Association for Rural Girl Education.