Gender Roles: Cracking the Glass Ceiling
During
our recent tours of a few packaging factories in Morocco, I was struck by how
deeply rooted gender roles are in the workplace. Most of the factories we
visited made it a point to emphasize that specific jobs were designated for men
and others for women. This division of labor was evident in how they described
the roles women played compared to men. According to the article below, only
21% of the female population in Morocco was in the workforce as of 2019. This
comes with a significant rural-urban divide, with only around 17% of women
joining the labor force in urban areas.
At
these packaging factories, I noticed that women were often assigned tasks that
required a keen eye for detail, such as selecting products based on specific
criteria, which demanded precision and patience. These tasks, while hands-on,
were not as physically demanding as the roles assigned to the men, who were
given more labor-intensive tasks like heavy lifting and driving motorized
forklifts or pallet jacks. Walking through these factories, it was clear that
men held positions that were both physically demanding and more visible, often
appearing to be the face of the factories and cooperatives. They took on roles
that required more physical strength and involved the handling and
transportation of goods.
After
reading the brief article about gender roles in Morocco from SDDirect, it
became even clearer how prevalent these roles are. The article highlights the
traditional views on gender roles within Moroccan society, which are reflected
in the workplace dynamics I observed. Men typically occupy more prominent and
physically demanding positions, reinforcing their visibility and authority
within these settings.
Despite
these traditional roles, Moroccan women have demonstrated remarkable resilience
and capability. One powerful moment that stood out to me was our visit to the
AMP women's cooperative outside of Meknes. It was inspiring to hear how one
woman managed to outsmart the "middle-man" and establish a
cooperative that challenges these gender role stigmas. By creating a space
where women can thrive and take control of their economic futures, she has
proven that women are just as capable as men.
Hearing
the story of how the AMP women's cooperative started was a testament to the
strength and ingenuity of Moroccan women. It serves as a reminder that while
traditional gender roles are prevalent, powerful movements and even more
powerful individuals are working to redefine these roles with hopes of creating
more opportunities for everyone, despite the Moroccan social norms of women
being considered inferior to men.
Women are indeed one of the most powerful creations on this earth, and Moroccan women are no exception. Their determination and ability to innovate in the face of societal constraints are truly inspiring. As we continue over the next few days, I look forward to learning more about how Moroccan women are shaping their futures while challenging the status quo.
https://www.sddirect.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-10/vawg-helpdesk-report-268-morocco-factsheet.pdf
Your story about our visits to packaging factories in Morocco, where we saw how men and women have different jobs based on gender, is really interesting. Men usually do the tough, visible work, while women do tasks that need careful attention.
ReplyDeleteThe numbers from the SDDirect article show that not many women work in Morocco, especially in cities. This shows how big the gap is between men and women in jobs.
But even though things are tough, Moroccan women are strong and smart. The AMP women's cooperative is a great example. It was started by a woman who wanted to change things and help other women. By giving women a place to work and make decisions, it's breaking the old rules about what women can do.
We need to remember how important it is to give women the same chances as men. When women can do what they're good at and have control over their lives, everyone benefits. Let's keep supporting women in Morocco so they can keep making a difference and building a better future for everyone.
I noticed the same thing while we were touring the factories. In the states you will see men and women working side by side even in physically demanding jobs. I have seen that there are more women working blue collar jobs in construction, utilities and first responder roles. In Morocco, there is a clear distinction between the two genders in factory work especially.
ReplyDeleteIt truly has been incredible to see the prominence of women-led cooperatives in the agriculture throughout our trip, and your mentioning of the lack of women in the Moroccan workforce helped me further understand their importance. With underrepresented women are in the labor market it then becomes easier for cultural beliefs regarding what men and women are "best fit" to do to be upheld without question. This then pushes women to have a more limited scope of industries and opportunities therein, but women co-ops give them control over having managerial opportunities or other positions that they would not be likely to be offered outside this context.
ReplyDeleteI also found the separation of men and women in the workplace interesting, particularly when we were at the facility that had a separate entrance and exit for men and women. I found this increasingly interesting when we visited COPAG where they pay men and women the same and give the same bonuses to all employees every six months. Throughout the tours, I did notice that in some of the facilities like iBerry, the men were doing detailed work like sorting and quality control, and in the packing facility it was both men and women checking quality control. I also found it incredibly interesting that the younger generations have a lot more women in research than men in research, when typically that is a male dominated field. You can see the influence and progression within the country.
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