The women's movement and political discourse in morocco

Abstract

"This paper aims to contextualize debates over the status of women in Morocco in relation to the contemporary political history of the country. As in many other countries, the claims of the women s movement have been marginalized in conventional political debates. In Morocco, the status of women is a taboo subject, and consequently any discussion of the issue elicits deep-rooted passions, particularly with regard to the country s national identity. At present this tendency is particularly pronounced because Morocco, like other Muslim and Arab countries, has seen the development of Islamic fundamentalist movements. These intensify the national identity crisis, as well as the contradictions inherent in the progressive image of the state and political élites, by focusing attention on the status of women. Indeed, debates over the status of women must be viewed against the backdrop of efforts by the state to contain the forces unleashed by democratization and the threat of political Islam."(pg1 )