"Women are More Detail-Oriented": Employment Segregation and Gender Stereotypes in Morocco (Sexual Orientation or Gender Roles)

During one of our first factory tours in Morocco, the citrus processing facility, we were told over and over again that the plant mostly employed women on the floor because women are "more detail-oriented," and therefore produced a higher quality product. This trend continued throughout our trip, where floors of women in white coats carefully combed through every type of produce imaginable, from blueberries to dates to citrus varieties. This reflects common gender stereotypes that women are more precise in their work and men are better suited for big-picture roles. Stereotypes like these can be harmful because they are widespread, subconsciously activated, and directly impact the social mobility of women (Heilman, 2012). This could also be due to the relatively low training and education required for these roles, as while there have been some strides in the gender education gap in Morocco, challenges remain in rural areas throughout the kingdom (Kolovich & Ndoye, 2023). 

While in the country, we saw some of the ways that community and business leaders are attempting to tackle this issue. Some cooperatives, such as the Argan and COPAG sites we visited, offer community education programs specifically targeted to address the gaps they find in their region. At the Argan Oil Cooperative, we learned that they offer specific literacy classes for adult women in their community. They said this has greatly improved the opportunities for these women, as they now have the knowledge and skills to handle business transactions, making them less likely to be conned into charging lower prices for their goods. At COPAG, we witnessed classrooms where children of all ages were able to receive a quality education. Having access to early childhood education is crucial, as the 5-7 year old range is an important stage of cognitive and social brain development in children across cultures (Kim, et al., 2021). While efforts of organizations and community leaders continue to push for progress, women’s participation in the workforce Morocco will continue to be affected by wrong and harmful stereotypes. 

The most effective way to mitigate the effects of stereotypes is to simply be aware of them, and recognize and pay attention to the ways that individuals may break previously held beliefs. Because stereotypes are activated automatically, as previously mentioned, the thought process in breaking them must be active. When one encounters someone who does not fit a previously held belief, there are two options for the brain to take. A) You accept that the stereotype is not true and do not believe it anymore, or B) You believe the individual to be an “exception” to the stereotype. Most often, people subconsciously choose the latter. As such, it is crucial to constantly reflect on possible stereotypes that you may hold and how they reflect your actions towards others, whether it be choosing what candidate to fill a position or simple conversations. 

Heilman, M. E. (2012, November 20). Gender stereotypes and workplace bias. Research in Organizational Behavior, Volume 32, 113-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2012.11.003

Kim, M. H., Ahmed, S. F., & Morrison, F. J. (2021). The Effects of Kindergarten and First Grade Schooling on Executive Function and Academic Skill Development: Evidence From a School Cutoff Design. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org//10.3389/fpsyg.2020.607973  

Kolovich, L. L., & Ndoye, A. (2023). "CHAPTER 9: Implications of Gender Inequality for Growth in Morocco". In Morocco’s Quest for Stronger and Inclusive Growth. USA: International Monetary Fund. https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400225406.071.CH009