Gender in Morocco
The women I have seen and spoken to, discuss the pride they have in their religion and culture. It is a sign of self-respect and respect to others to dress conservatively and to cover hair. I have noticed the level of sacred respect that the men (particularly the generation above my own) have for women. Of course there are outliers in all things and this is no exception as I have also seen very disrespectful behavior directed towards women as well, but in rare cases.
I think it is very interesting and empowering that men also have a responsibility to dress conservatively (Mischler 2023). It is not about gender, but about respect to their religion and self. I found one conversation with an ENA student particularly interesting. When discussing religion and beliefs, my tattoos came into conversation as the students were interested in the art I have placed on my body and the meaning behind them. As a spiritual person, all of my tattoos have spiritual meaning, a form of my own self-respect. One conversation was particularly interesting as we discussed the place of tattoos in Islam and that they are not allowed due to the societal standards set for donation of blood. Rather than being haram like my assumption, it was more about cleanliness than anything else.
In the factories that we went to, particularly COPAG, I found the gender roles incredibly interesting. All employees are paid the same for their roles in the organization, but they specify the roles to gender, not as an exclusion practice, but out of respect. Women are not given physically laborious work, but rather more detailed work, and the men are typically the opposite. I find this incredibly interesting as this is not a global norm at all.
Mischler, A. E. (2023, July 13). How does modesty relate to dress? part 1. About Islam. https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/how-does-modesty-relate-to-dress-part-1/
Hi Katy! I love your post and how it relates to the equality of social expectations form men and woman. It is refreshing to see men being held to the same standard as woman, where that is not the case in many areas of the world. The equality in the workplace is also something I think more countries should work toward. It honestly is amazing!
ReplyDeleteHello, Katy! I thought that the conversation you mentioned with one ENA student was very interesting! Cleanliness is not something that comes to mind in the U.S. when people are getting tattoos. It is nice to hear different perspectives when it comes to topics that we may not think anything about. I am curious to see if the student offered a more detailed explanation regarding the expectations for tattoos regarding gender. Are tattoos more permitted on men or are women just as socially free to get tattoos as well? Are tattoos generally regarded to stay away from or are there just certain parts of the body that they are not to be placed on? I did notice I did not see any tattoo shops while we were in Morocco,
ReplyDeleteHi, Katy!
ReplyDeleteI love how you challenged your own beliefs during this trip! Thank you for sharing your discussions with the other ENA students. I also found our conversations with the ENA students particularly enlightening, as these as students our own age in very similar stages of life, and that made it easier to relate as well as compare experiences across both countries. For example, I remember one conversation we had discussing food prices in the US vs Morocco. The students we talked to were appalled to learn that a typical cup of coffee in the United States can range from $6-9, depending on where you go and how you order. They compared this to the price of a good sized lunch in Morocco!
I also appreciated how you pointed out the pride many women in Morocco feel in their cultural attire. I've learned that as a woman, wearing a hijab can be one way to show your devotion and feel closer to Allah. This is very different from the narrative taught in the US, where women of the Muslim faith are forced to "hide" their features and cover up.