CAES Morocco: Leading Across Differences

In Morocco, gender roles are very much still skewed to benefit the male population and a patriarchal society. When I landed in Casablanca, I noticed this with the amount of men outside. In fact, while visiting the Hasan II Mosque at night that day, most of the women and children left the area at sunset, leaving only men outside. For me, this signified the patriarchal nature of Moroccan society. Having had experience with Muslim gender roles in the United States, I had a basic idea of how life at home likely is for women in Morocco. But, I was more interested in whether there has been progress for them, especially in terms of employment and economic growth.  According to Lisa Kolovich and Anta Ndoye’s book, Morocco’s Quest for Stronger and Inclusive Growth , there is a much higher unemployment rate for women than for men in Morocco. The book also cites the World Values Survey, which found that a majority of participants agreed with the statement that “Men should have more right to a...

In comparing sexual orientation in Morocco and the United States, there is a huge difference in the level of social acceptance and legal recognition of LGBTQ+ people. In the United States, discrimination definitely still exists, but there are legal protections in place including the right to marry, adopt, and live openly. In Morocco, however, homosexuality is criminalized, which can lead to imprisonment. Public expression of queer identity is not only socially ‘incorrect’ but also legally dangerous.      As someone who identifies as LGBTQ+, this was a constant consideration of mine as we traveled through the country. I thought about how difficult it must be to always have to hide such a fundamental part of yourself to stay safe. Not being able to have queer communities or celebrate love openly is something I do not think I could live with. It made me reflect on the privilege of living in a place where, even if full acceptance isn't always present, people at least have the...

    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 functioni...

     Throughout our stay in Morocco, each day it was increasingly obvious that gender roles were all under the common assumption in every city. Women have certain jobs and men have certain jobs. You rarely found them doing the same jobs or even the same activities. Women are placed in certain roles that are more confined than men where men are typically running most corporations and still able to sit in cafés throughout the afternoons.     In the United States women can be the breadwinners of the home, can sell things at the market, or even choose to stay home and tend to their children. In Morocco, women have specific jobs at factories, regulations placed by men in the family and their religion.     Although there are strides being made throughout the country, women still are in the minority of most conversations. Only 12.8% of businesses are ran by women, 8% of leadership in large companies are women, and 13.8% of leadership in trade sectors are wome...

  While here in Morocco, I've noticed many places are inaccessible to those with physical disabilities. Just the other day, entering the Medina in Fes required navigating steep, narrow staircases. Inside, the crowded aisles made it nearly impossible for someone in a wheelchair to move around. This isn't just an inconvenience—it can be life-altering. Many artisans in the Medina are older and have spent years honing their crafts. If they were to become physically disabled, accessing their workspace could become impossible, threatening their livelihoods. According to the High Commission for Planning (HCP), 727,833 people in Morocco live with a disability, making up 5.5% of the population (United Nations Development Programme, 2023). Despite legal frameworks supporting disability rights, practical barriers persist. A 2021 survey by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) found that employers often perceive hiring persons with disabilities as chall...

  In the states, it is not uncommon for me to see small symbols of queer identities throughout my daily life. This could be anything, from flags to pins to the rainbow crosswalks in downtown Athens. However, since being here in Morocco, I have not seen any of these symbols and none of our tours have mentioned queer people. This is very different from what I’m used to; I grew up in the New York public school system, so being gay was very accepted and I had plenty of friends that identified as something other than straight. I also have made friends since starting at UGA that are very open about their sexual identities. This is definitely not the norm in Morocco. Same sex relations between consenting adults is criminalized in Morocco and is punishable with jail time and fines (Corbisiero & Monaco, 2017). Hopefully we start to see progress in this area so that one day queer Moroccans can display their pride in the way they want.  Reference Corbisiero, F., & Monaco, S....

     While studying in Morocco, something that was quickly apparent was the difference in gender roles. As you walk through the streets, most women are expected to cover up, even if they do not follow Islam. On tours, we are expected to wear "respectful" clothing, but men do not have to alter what they wear.  Religion has a much bigger influence on gender roles in Morocco than in America.       When passing a cafe or restaurant, you mostly see men sitting outside enjoying the sunshine. Women are rarely out in the open enjoying themselves. They are mostly seen caring for children or working. Women are still seen as manager of the home. Even though women are legally considered equal to men, societal traditions/norms keep women behind men in many ways.    Today when visiting the argon co-op, they had jobs strictly for women. When we were trying to crack the argon nuts, the boys could not try, just the girls. We do not have this in the ...