Final Project: Exploring Space and Gender in Morocco

Moroccan women have created social spaces for themselves in order for them to participate and help benefit the Moroccan society as a whole. However, the evolution of women in society has shifted to start bringing women to the forefront in certain specific public spaces. 

Education

Koranic Schools 

The image to the right is one of the oldest Koranic schools that is found within the Medina in Fez. In the Koranic school, there is very standard tile work on the ground with a plethora of plasterwork found on the walls to which have very common geometric Islamic designs in them. In the middle is a fountain in which serves as the center for the whole Koranic school with rooms on the outside. Many of the Koranic schools that we visited do not allow women to study there. While Culture Smartnotes that access to education is increasing heavily for women, access to Islamic studies and Koranic schools is not. However, women have still helped contribute to Koranic schools and Islam as a whole. 

This specific image is an example of how women have only mildly been able to create a space for themselves within Koranic schools. But, as Dr. Rddad noted, women are now becoming imams and influential, powerful figures in Islam. In creating a space for themselves within Koranic schools and Islam as a whole, women are able to help the collective good by fighting for equality that the Koran preaches at its core. For centuries Islam has been taught from a man’s point of view, however that is very, very slowly shifting. 

Modern Universities 

In contrast to the above Koranic schools, modern universities in Morocco, like UEMF (See image below), fully accept women into the school. In addition, many of the professors and administrators were also women. UEMF is a semi-private and semi-public university that attracts students from all over the world with high tech equipment. While at the visit, we saw men and women interacting in a multitude of different ways. As we learned in our lecture on education, in the past women would never have been able to attend a university, let alone with men. According to Culture Smart, "the number of young women attending secondary school and university continues to rise." But here, they are creating their own social space in an attempt to contribute to the overall well being of their family and society. However, according to Al Jazeera, “because privately-educated children usually attain better grades, it becomes very difficult for students from public schools to … access major universities and institutions.” While this university is impeccable, with Morocco’s primary and secondary education issues, a class school like this is not practical for all Moroccan women: only those whom are upper middle or upper class. This ultimately shows that while there is immense progress for women in education, there is still work to be done, especially in terms of young girls in rural environments. 

Religion

Mosques 

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca was completed in 1993. As you enter, the main floor is where the men join to pray. However, this picture shows the upper level where the women are separated from the men and are expected to pray. The railings and banisters have Islamic geometric designs that were all hand created by Moroccans who worked on the Mosque 24 hours a day during its construction. In contrast to the main floor, which holds up 20,000 men praying at once, the women’s section is significantly smaller because only holding roughly 5,000 women. Within the Koran, there is nothing that specifically explains that men and women must be separated for prayer. Moreover, allowing women to have a space within the Mosque that is specifically theirs allows women to gather together in the public sphere. However, among Muslim women, some believe that it is discrimination to have a separate worships space and some believe that it has value. Nowadays, women in Morocco are able to go to the Mosque as they please, where in the past this was not the case. This evolution allows women to help contribute to the collective good of society spiritually because Islam is so imperative to their culture. 

This picture shows the underground of the mosque where both the men and women would come to wash before they went back upstairs to pray. On the walls, there are Islamic geometric designs that are constructed out of both plaster and tile work. In the center, there are large marble fountains in which the water comes out. This ritual takes place because the Koran explains: “which none shall touch but those who are clean.” Women going to the Mosque to cleanse them and pray further benefit the spirituality of society. However, as Mernissi explains, going to the mosque to pray, specifically washing was a very important social component for women. It allowed for women to get out of the home and socialize with other women. This area was and still is specifically a public space where women do not have to worry about being in the gaze of other men and are able to gossip with friends. In the end, nearly all aspects of going women going to the Hassan II Mosque to pray is separate from men. 

Synagogues

While visiting the Jewish Quarter in Fez, this photo was taken from the synagogue. Here, there are benches on the first level where the men would come for the service. However, the picture was taken from the upper part where the women would be for the service, showing the gender divide in Judaism. Even though Morocco is a Muslim country, the Jewish population has lived alongside their Muslim counterparts for centuries. In fact, Culture Smartnotes: “In 1948 the Jewish population of Morocco numbered around 265,000. Today, fewer than 10,000 remain” (35). Furthermore, it is important to recognize that women are not only separated from men in mosques but also in synagogues. In contrast to the Hassan II Mosque, the synagogue is much more simplistic and does not have nearly as much detail nor geometric designs. The colors within the synagogue are much more neutral in addition to the synagogue being much smaller overall. Within the synagogue, like the mosque, women have a safe space in the public in which they were able to socialize with friends outside the home. As mentioned during out Judaism lecture, Dr. Rddad explained that the presence of Judaism helped increase freedom for women in Morocco. Having a once significantly high Jewish population within Morocco helped evolve women’s rights throughout time and help create more opportunities for a public presence; allowing them to contribute to the collective good in different ways such as working outside the house. 

Zawayas 

This specific zawaya in Fez was under construction, however played a significant role in women’s lives. Here, there are many carpets that are used for prayer in addition to very traditional Islamic tile and plaster work. This is the area where women come not only to pray, but to hangout and socialize with each other. Not only does it play a significant role in women’s religious lives, but also in their personal and social lives as well. Similarly to the hammam, the zawaya was and still is a safe place for women to socialize with their friends outside of the public sphere, but still allowing them to leave the home. Because the society as a collective whole is deeply Islamic, this space allows for women to contribute to the religious society as well as furthering social connections with other women.

This is a second image from the same zawaya in Fez that was under construction. Here, there is more traditional Islamic tile and plasterwork. In the plasterwork, there was also Moroccan calligraphy that was being restored after surviving centuries. The standard colors of blue, yellow, and green are often found in tiles throughout Morocco, especially in religious settings. This area is where the women used to be able to listen to the imam gives prayers while there were men on the other side. In addition, this specific area is where the founder of this specific zawaya’s daughter was buried. Not only does this photograph contain an immense amount of religious importance, but also shows the place where a powerful woman was buried. This was a safe space for women to come and socialize in addition to praying and partaking in other religious rituals. The designs in this photograph uphold the Islamic values of the collective society as well as show a space outside of them home, which was incredibly important to women throughout time. Women were able to socially and religiously contribute to society collectively by having a space that was their own. 

At the Home

This photograph is taken inside of our host family’s home. Here, there are many couches and chairs so that the family can gather around and spend time together. The designs on most of the furniture contain standard geometric Islamic designs. In the corner, there are a few windows, however none of them open to the outside. This has been very standard in Moroccan homes for decades in that Mernissi explains that women were protected from the outside by even going so far as to not having any windows opening to look outside” (58). So while our home had windows, they did not open to the outside and were always covered with curtains to ensure women’s privacy from the public sphere. The home has been a very important social space for Moroccan women for centuries and continues to be to this day. From the home, women are still allowed to help the collective good for their family. The evolution of women’s rights in Morocco has now allowed women to leave the home unaccompanied and allows them additional social spaces outside the home. 

This image was taken in the Jewish quarter in Fez. Different from the Old City, the Jewish Quarter of Fez is architecturally very different. Here, there is much more spaced compared to the Old city as well as allowing cars to drive through. Furthermore, the architecture is much fancier on the outside instead of only focusing on detail on the inside of the home. More importantly, here there are home with large windows and balconies. These balconies risk women being exposed or entering the public sphere just simply by stepping out onto the balcony. As Mernissi explains, the architecture of homes found in the Old City was meant to keep women hidden from men. This is different from the picture above in which they did not even have windows that opened up to the outside. The presence of balconies shows how women’s presence can vary throughout Morocco as well as creating a space for women to come into contact with others via balcony. This was just the first step in pushing for bringing women to the forefront of the public sphere. As was already mentioned, Judaism played a very important role in women’s rights and having balconies for women to use is one small way in which this is true. Even small architectural designs like balconies helped women contribute to the collective good by allowing women to see what is going on below. 

This picture was taken from the roof of a building we toured in the Medina. Here, we can see a plethora of other roofs throughout the Medina that are either homes and/or shops. An important feature is the green coverings on the roofs that are used green because of the significance in Islam. As we learned about privacy orientation, Moroccan highly value their privacy from the outside. Inside the home is where women do not have to cover and it is considered a sacred space for them and their families to be alone from others. The roof is a place that is not quite a public or a private sphere for women. Furthermore, as Mernissi reinforced, the terrace of the home was a space for women to once again gather and communicate with other people gathered on their terrace. While we were on the roof, we saw women on the roof doing a variety of different household tasks and conserving. This space for women allows them to still have the security of being close to their home and yet, still have access to the public. In addition, women are still allowed to take part in tasks that allow them to get work done at the same time that needs to be done for the family. 

Contemporary Art 

This piece of art was found in the Contemporary Art Museum in Rabat and is by Latifa Tournai, 1972. This art piece has presumably is one human figure. In it, the figure is crouching down with their head between their knees. At the top, it appears as though there is either a window to a home or a jail cell. The human figure is a very bright shade of blue while the background is completely black; showing how alone the figure is. Women were able to (and still do) use art as a way to communicate their voice in society. This specific piece of art allowed women, like Latifa Tournai, to use their voice through art. While women before were not considered artists nor were they given much recognition, this piece allows Tournai to communicate the loneliness that one is feeling. In using contemporary art as a means of communication, not only does it allow women to use their own voice, but also contribute to the collective good by acknowledging certain contemporary issues that Moroccan women are facing. 

This specific piece of contemporary art on the left was found in the Contemporary Art Museum in Rabat is by Fatima Hassan Farros (1945-2010) and was created in 1986. This art piece has approximately 13 what are presumably human figures. These figures all have traditional geometric Islamic designs on their clothing with very bold colors to accent the designs. In addition, there are many appeals to nature and animal found in the top, which is also a standard element of Islamic art. From our art lecture, we learned how women used contemporary art to have a voice, in which this artist did. Furthermore, this piece also appeals to the collectivist society because it contains some of the traditional elements of Islamic art. This piece of art allowed women, like Fatima Hassan Farros, to use their voice through art in a way that brought them to the public sphere of art and society. While she uses contemporary elements, she also appeals to the collective good of society by reinforcing traditional Islamic elements. 

Workplace

Co-ops 

In this photo taken at the second co-op, there are three Moroccan women, all of different ages, painting pottery in standard Islamic geometric designs. One of the older Moroccan women is wearing the hijab while the two other women are not. As Mernissi wrote in her novel, Dreams of Trespass, “Mother could not even step out of the gate without asking multiple permissions…” (39). At that time, the idea of an unmarried man outside the family seeing women without another man was an unfathomable thought. However, in 2019, we are seeing women outside of the household, without a male family member, making a choice to not cover. Allowing women to work outside the house uphold Morocco’s cultural dimension of valuing the collective good. The co-op specifically, like the first one we went to in Casablanca, allows women to create a new social space for them. 

Rug Shops in the Medina 

This image shows two women who are working on creating a rug by hand. Both were middle-aged to older Moroccan women whom both wore the hijab and were dressed very modestly. The rug thus far had very vibrant colors that were in a typical geometric Islamic pattern. These rugs would typically be found all over homes in Morocco. While Culture Smartexplains that just a few decades ago women were not allowed to even work outside the home, today, these women are able to work within the Medina creating impeccable rugs that are sold for a good amount of money. Women have created a space within the public sphere that now includes within the workspace. In creating these rugs, not only are these women contributing to the collective good of their family financially, but are also helping the collective good economically and with a supply of goods. 

Public Sphere 

Hammam 

The image below is a standard hammam that has been used for centuries as a public bathhouse in Morocco. The hammam typically has a significant amount of tile work with standard Islamic designs on it. The hammam was not only a place where women would go to get clean, but as Mernissi explains, it also was a place where women would go to socialize (230). Because women were expected to be within the home during the day and night, going to the hammam every week gave them a definite time every week to gossip with friends. In addition, being in charge of their beauty allowed women to feel like they are in control while giving them a sense of self and individual beauty (233). While women have looser restrictions on going outside the home, the hammam still plays an important role on their sense of belonging. To this day, it remains a much-desired time for women to have time to themselves with friends out of the possible gaze of men. In taking care of oneself and giving women an increased sense of self at the hammam, it allows women to feel better about themselves and likely increase moods and decrease the chance of getting ill. Having healthier women allows them to contribute to the collective good more effectively. The hammam remains one public sphere for women that has existed for centuries and still remains a vital role. 

Cafe 

This picture above was taken on our final day in Fez at our favorite and most visited café. Here, on the terrace along with us, there are multiple Moroccans that include both men and women. In addition, there were also at least two women who also worked at the café. While before, cafes used to be exclusively for men, it has become more normal for women to come to the cafes and even work there. In fact, Culture Smartnotes, “In the larger cities, today, there is a growing number of cafes that welcome women, and it is becoming less and less surprising to see women alone or even smoking” (98). This shows how the evolution of bringing women to the forefront of public spaces has also included cafes. Women have now created a space for themselves in cafes as a means for them to help where jobs are needed as well as contributing to the economy. 

Shops in the Medina 

While shopping in the Medina in Fez, nearly all shopkeepers were men. This picture from the Medina shows many different shops that are selling everything from magnets, glasses, plates, and drums. Off in the left-hand corner was a woman who was working in the shop with another man. As we learned from Dr. Berkland, there are becoming more women shopkeepers as well as more women helping out in the shop while their husbands are out. Because of their cultural values, Moroccans heavily value family, which will take precedence. Having women help out in the shop not only allows them to put their family values first, but also helped out the collective good in having another functioning store. The evolution of women’s presence brought them to the forefront or the storefront, and created another public space for them to participate in. 


Protests in Rabat 

On the road in Rabat, we saw the Parliament building, which had protestors outside. While the majority of these protestors are men, there are a few women in the crowd some who are covering and some not. The protestors are physically a few hundred feet away from the Parliament building and a few had signs. Before, according to Mernissi, women were expected to stay within the household and leave only with permission, but they would also need a man to escort them if they do leave while also being fully covered (118). This image shows how women have now not only created a public space for themselves in public protesting, but also how they have created a voice politically. As we learned during our politics lesson, there now are women whom are serving in the government and well as one female head of a political party. In allowing women a public space to protest and speak politically, women are able to help out the collective good of society by pushing for rights for women and men.