Christian Hertzig | Gender Roles in the Workforce

    In the comparative study of Morocco to the United States, both countries have apparent differences and underlying issues. A major societal problem within Morocco is the gap in male and female occupations. These differences in the United States could be considered "sexist." However, I have realized that in Moroccan culture, there are more distinct gender roles in the workforce, and this is not necessarily a negative attribute. 

    I first realized the differences in gender roles between the United States and Morocco on our first tour of Casablanca. Our tour guide began to discuss gender roles and the jobs that women may have. She stated that women can still be "doctors", "lawyers", etc. However, I thought it was interesting that she had the need to even mention this. For lack of a better word, our tour guide seemed to "flex" the fact that women were able to have such prestigious jobs. When our group was at iBerry I was able to see a functioning business in action. I would say that around 95% of the workers in iBerry, focusing on the production of blueberries, were women. Their particular job seemed to be extremely repetitive and routine. This made me wonder why so many women were working here. The answer was quite simple; they enjoyed what they were doing and preferred this job over others. At the blueberry farm itself, it was mostly men picking the blueberries. Instead of an underlying issue or a "sexist" culture, maybe Morocco is okay with defined gender roles in the workforce. According to "Addressing Gender Disparities in Morocco's Labor Market: An Urgent Call to Action," Morocco's labor market is characterized by pronounced gender disparities, deeply rooted in societal norms and traditional roles. These disparities manifest in various aspects, including labor force participation rates, employment sectors, and wage gaps (Walaw, 2024). Traditional roles play a huge factor in the occupational gap in Morocco. The Moroccan government has made initiatives to improve and promote women in the workforce. We saw these initiatives firsthand at the Women's Cooperatives (the production of argan oil and saffron). These particular tasks were said not to be done efficiently by men. 

    Overall, the gap in the occupational environment in Morocco can be perceived positively and negatively, depending on which way you look at it. In comparing the United States to Morocco, you may be somewhat concerned because in the US, women seem to be treated equally to men. However, we need to understand the position that Morocco is in as a developing country that is not in a later stage of development, like the US. Morocco produces a lot of their goods in the country, such as saffron and leather. The production of saffron has primarily been a field dominated by women, while leather is dominated by men. This is not necessarily a problem, just a culture and country structured on tradition and societal norms.

 "Addressing Gender Disparities in Morocco’s Labor Market: An Urgent Call to Action.” Walaw, 2024, en.walaw.press/articles/addressing_gender_disparities_in_moroccos_labor_market_an_urgent_call_to_action