The situation surrounding the status of Morocco Women is always ever-changing, from a history of tradition and religion to the modernity of the west.
Moroccan women did not always have the freedom they do now since the history of Morocco itself is interlinked with many dynasties, kings, wars, revolutions, and reforms.
The early status of Moroccan women:
In the 1800s all the way to the 1900s, the status of Moroccan women has been mostly silenced. Women took on the role of caregivers of the family while men went to work.
The role of women back in the day was very basic and it was for companionship and reproduction. However, this would quickly change with time as women in Morocco started to take on more responsibility in the future.
The situation starting the 1950s was characterized by the French and Spanish invasion which caused the uprising in the green March in 1975.
The invasion was not only a land invasion for resources, but it was also a cultural invasion especially for the people.
After Morocco claimed its independence, Morocco held on to the modern values left by the French.
Women began to think for themselves, they started going to university, live alone, get their own jobs, and become independent. This was a crucial era for women that changed Morocco for the better.
Moroccan women’s rights and reforms:
The new millennia brought with it some challenges since there was a change in the way things worked culturally.
Morocco embraced Islam more than before and so there was a slight cultural shift. However, this would be neutralized with the new reforms and laws.
The changes to the Moudawwana in 2004 were done in order to protect the Moroccan women from possible harassment and further reinforce her independence.
Thankfully, having the minimum age for marriage become 18, giving rights to divorce her husband for domestic violence became legal, and banning domestic violence were all changes for the better.
These laws were also about marriage since polygamy is normalized in Islam. However, men would need the approval of the first wife to marry another woman.
The 2011 new constitution guarantees equal protection and enjoyment of its laws for both men and women in Morocco for the first time.
The new constitution also reaffirms the importance of various issues including the right to divorce, the right to self-guardianship, and the right to child custody.
For the first time in Morocco, women can marry whomever they want without needing male guardianship for approval.
The new constitution also allowed for better treatment in courts when it comes to rape and gender-based attacks such as the abolition of the rape law that used to allow the men who raped their victims to evade their sentence by marrying them.
Morocco has thankfully allowed for more women empowerment and the government is legally forced to protect the rights of women.
Moroccan women between tradition and modernity:
The status of Moroccan women is still developing. This is because there is always debate on tradition and modernity from both parties.
On the one hand, Islamists believe that women should not go beyond the role of the housewife and the caregiver of the family to preserve the way things were back in the day.
On the other hand, progressives and reformists are fighting for normalizing gender equality.
The vast majority of women in Morocco are seeking gender equality and modernity. Harassment, domestic violence, inheritance, and other issues are still prevalent to this day in Morocco.
Some of these issues need reformation legally, but other issues such as harassment are cultural. The situation of women in Morocco also depends on subcultural circumstances.
Women still take on strictly traditional roles in rural areas where they are granted very little to no rights. They are under the guardianship of their father until they marry which also puts them under the guardianship of their husbands.
Nevertheless, the status of women in more modern cities such as Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangiers can be more modern.
Poorer neighborhoods tend to take on more traditional roles while modern rich neighborhoods embrace women’s rights and gender equality.
All things considered, the situation of women is indeed improving for the better thanks to the new constitution as well as the effect of globalism. More women are joining the workforce, universities, science labs, the parliament, and ministries.
It is up to the new laws and regulations to better the situation of women, but it is far more important to change the way people think culturally to truly transform the situation of women.