Gender Roles: Single Moms
Furthermore, I go on to find two articles about single mothers and their stories. Morocco World News begins by stating Fedwa Laroui who is a single mom of two children that set herself on fire in 2011 after being excluded from a social housing. However, the article goes on to talk about Amina Chlouchi who is 25 and a single mother. Amina was promised by her boyfriend love and marriage, but when she told him she was pregnant, he left her (Morocco World News, 2012). He does not claim the child even though at the time of the article the daughter was 2 years old. This makes me mad because it takes two to have sex, and I believe it is wrong that she has to face all the problems such as being homeless and not being financially stable (Morocco World News, 2012). He gets to go on to live his life, but she is left out in the dirt to take the heat from her family, friends and community. It is stated that there is against the law to have a baby out of wedlock and punishments for sex outside of marriage which means that you can go to jail up to one year (Morocco World News, 2012). This infuriates me because I believe that this law can mostly convict women because women are the ones having the children and are pregnant, and there is not really a way to prove that a man is not a virgin before getting married.
In the book, Chapter 7: Hold Steady, it is discussed about issues and how to handle them. I did discuss about taking the heat in my previous blog post, but this is another great example for taking the heat. Women have to deal with the consequences of premarital sex more than men because women get pregnant, but men do not. You can tell a women is a virgin, but you cannot with a man. Women really do have to decide how they want to handle these situations in a time where they have little to no support system.
It has been interesting reading these articles. I have attached the articles below incase you would like to read the stories of the single moms, and the situations they are in.
Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com). (2021, March 24). “Mothers on Air” radio serves single mothers in Morocco. DW.COM. https://www.dw.com/en/mothers-on-air-radio-advocating-for-single-mothers-in-morocco/a-56961024#:%7E:text=Single%20mothers%20in%20Morocco%20are,to%20a%20year%20in%20prison.
Staff Writer - Morocco World News. (2012, November 4). Unwed mothers in Morocco Face Persistent Challenges. Https://Www.Moroccoworldnews.Com/. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/11/63719/unwed-mothers-in-morocco-face-persistent-challenges-3
Evidently, if a woman goes to the hospital to seek services (such as giving birth to a child) without a husband to prove wedlock, the clinicians are required to call the police. Since prisons have been filling up due to this law, now there is a fine of around $50 to $100 -- an unaffordable price for most single mothers. Adoption of the child is also required by law.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic. I like how you discuss the concept of taking the heat. Single mothers and divorcees in Morocco take on the responsibility and social consequences of having a child or leaving a marriage both of which require the involvement of two people. Yet, women unilaterally take the blame for these decisions. From what I heard from our time in Morocco, our friend's mom experienced this when she divorced her father who had been consistently unfaithful. Not only did her mom deal with societal and familial pushback and consequences, her father was able to absolve himself of all responsibility when he began a new family. This is of course, not exclusive to Morocco and American women have faced similar challenges in the past, my Grandmother herself was excommunicated from the Catholic church after leaving an abusive marriage. But social movements in the states have pushed a more progressive and supportive narrative for single mothers today (though these women experience prejudice).
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