WKF President Antonio Espinós was among the officials in attendance at the event held alongside the Karate 1-Premier League competition in Rabat, along with Royal Moroccan Karate Federation Bouchra Lakhal and representatives from Morocco's Government and society.

The Guardian Girls Karate project launched in Los Angeles last year after the WKF entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the Koyamada International Foundation and United Nations Population Fund.

It is hoped the programme will equip participants with self-defence skills through karate.

Rabat followed on from previous events held in Egypt's capital Cairo and Guadalajara in Spain.

WKF instructor Amy Connell led the seminar, supported by Moroccan instructor Salma Assila and Olympic bronze medallist Grace Lau of Hong Kong, with their demonstration watched worldwide.

Espinós hailed the potential of the project.

"The Guardian Girls Karate Project is a crucial step in the integration of karate into society," he said.

"Karate is already deeply integrated with society, but this is a further step in demonstrating karate’s value to the community.

"We are dedicating immense work, care, interest, and energy to this project, and I'm sure that after this year, with the six legs of the programme, we will be able to consolidate the Guardian Girls Karate Project even more.

"We have big plans for 2024 and further, and I'm sure that the strengthening of the programme that we will achieve in 2023 will serve to continue incorporating this project into all levels of society.

"We must be optimistic because this project has a bright future."

Further events are planned in Fukuoka in Japan later this month, Ireland's capital Dublin in September and Hungary's capital Budapest alongside the World Championships