Gender Roles in Morocco

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During the past week of exploring Morocco, I have observed how specified gender roles are here. While gender stereotypes exist in the United States, they are not as prevalent as they are in Morocco. Moroccan women have become much more educated in today’s time than in the past, which has led to an increasing number of women in the labor market, however, they are usually working along with other women or children (Pels, 2000). After visiting many production sites and packing houses, it has become evident that women often observe and clean the products to help ensure they are ready for packaging. Men, however, seem to be more on the operational side of things and handle more complex machinery. I have also noticed that men in restaurants usually take orders and bring food out, while women do more cleaning and cooking. Traditional Muslim culture often bases its social customs around societal and familial male dominance and women are usually not a part of business transactions (Gray & Finley-Hervey, 2005). After walking around the streets in the late evenings a couple of times, I also noticed that many places had only men gathered outside at tables with tea and drinks, while many women gathered at parks with their children. Overall, Moroccan society has positioned men as the job holders and mediators and women as the caregivers and housekeepers. However, expectations on gender roles have changed over time and there is more of a push to educate and provide jobs for women. 




Pels, T. (2000). Muslim Families from Morocco in the Netherlands: Gender Dynamics and Fathers’ Roles in a Context of Change. Current Sociology, 48(4), 75–93. 


Gray, K. R., & Finley-Hervey, J. (2005). Women and entrepreneurship in Morocco: Debunking stereotypes and discerning strategies. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 1(2), 203–217. 


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