Historical Overview of Women's Roles and Rights in the Moroccan Society
In Morocco, women’s roles and rights evolved since the country’s independence from French rule in 1956. They have progressively moved from traditional occupations to an active participation in different aspects of society (Zirari, 2021).
The first demand made for equal rights for Moroccan women was fundamentally centered on reconstructing personal status regulations and family laws. In 1958, women’s legal statement was officially formalized in the family structure through the passage of the personal status code in the family code. It is important to know that the view of gender role at this time was still hierarchical. Up to the year 2000, gender equality issues were still being addressed (Naciri,1998).
In Morocco, women’s rights were heavily influenced by multiple factors in the socio-demographic field such as urbanization, access to education, increase in the average age of marriage, which led to a transformation in the economic, political and social landscape of the country requiring the need of granting equal gender rights for the sake of development (Manal, 2020).
Struggling to advocate for women’s rights in Morocco is an inevitable part of the journey, hence the creation of women’s associations such as the Democratic Association of Women in Morocco and the Union of Feminine Action, which played an essential role in promoting gender equality and opposing to biased practices. Women activists managed to make a pronounced effect in multiple fields including but not limited to politics, development and advocating against violence targeting women. (Elliot,2014)
The establishment of legal forms such as the 2004 family code enhances Moroccan women’s rights by raising the minimum age for marriage and restricting polygamy. However, women in Morocco are still discriminated when it comes to accessing education, employment especially leadership roles which reflects the continuing struggle to achieve gender equality.