To me, Morocco seems like an interesting hybrid of a place, so I thought I would share some of my thoughts and impressions from my brief stay there last month. Though, it's a very conservative culture, it is after all a place where you can watch "Gossip Girl" if you get Dubai One on your cable TV system.
Before arriving in Morocco, I had heard from multiple people, including firsthand accounts from friends who had recently been there, that it was not a great place for a woman to travel alone. I guess the main issue is the possibility of being harassed or worse, if a woman is seen traveling around without a male companion. When I first arrived in Tangier, the American student I shared a cab with said that the coordinators of her program had explained it as follows: Moroccans don’t really have a bar or club scene where they can go out to meet women so they try their luck with anyone they see passing by on the street. The student even said that it was sometimes nice to get catcalls on days when she hadn’t made any effort with her appearance. She also said that if a guy actually touched a woman, even harmlessly, and the woman put up a fuss that the guy would then be publicly shamed for his actions by those around him.
As a general rule, I think what she said was true. People, especially men, tried to talk to me and sell me things, but I didn’t feel their behavior was any more obnoxious than what I’ve experienced anywhere else that I’ve been. I certainly never felt physically threatened. If the guy in Casablanca had been following me late at night, I might have felt more nervous, but since it was during the day and there were thousands of people around I knew he couldn’t get away with anything. I also could have easily walked into a shop or cafe if I absolutely had to. If anything, the stares that I got as a single American woman in India were far more unnerving than anything I experienced in Morocco.
I was also a bit surprised by how westernized some parts of the country are. I think I was expecting the Arabian Nights and what I got was a 21st century version of that. There are obviously still the medinas and other old neighborhoods, but it almost seems like those have been preserved partially to keep the tourism industry alive. Other parts of the cities are filled with new construction, European-style cafes and even large apartment and housing developments that seem to be popping up all over the place. The infrastructure, including the train system, is in better shape than anything I saw in India or even Jordan. Plus, wireless Internet access is fast and readily accessible. Perhaps part of this westernization comes from being so close to Spain and the rest of Europe, but it honestly wasn’t at all what I expected.
That said, it is evident that poverty is still rife in Morocco. This was especially clear when traveling by train through small villages where people wearing rags were living in shacks and garbage was piled up along the tracks. I also for the first time had this strange sense of guilt as I walked back to my hostel one night and a vendor called out to me in an attempt to make a sale. I realized that his livelihood depended on him trying to sell me the same exact thing that the shop next door was selling even though I probably didn’t even want what he was selling in the first place. This has obviously been true pretty much everywhere I’ve been, but it was the first time it really hit me and made me have a bit more empathy and understanding for these overaggressive sales tactics.
Finally, though I know there are still serious issues with gender equality, I didn’t sense that women were treated as second class citizens as much as I expected to. I actually saw more women out and about in town than I did when I was in Delhi. Most women still wear the hijab, hopefully by choice, but many also do not. When I first arrived I thought I might wear a scarf over my own head in order to better blend in, but I honestly did not really feel the need. In Marrakech, I would say the proportion of local women wearing a head scarf to those not wearing one was about 70 to 30. In Casablanca, which again seemed a bit more progressive, I would say the proportion was closer to 60 to 40 if not 55 to 45. Again, if women are covering their heads by choice then I have no objection, but if they are doing so because society says they must, then clearly I welcome greater opportunity for freedom of expression for everyone.
That said, it is evident that poverty is still rife in Morocco. This was especially clear when traveling by train through small villages where people wearing rags were living in shacks and garbage was piled up along the tracks. I also for the first time had this strange sense of guilt as I walked back to my hostel one night and a vendor called out to me in an attempt to make a sale. I realized that his livelihood depended on him trying to sell me the same exact thing that the shop next door was selling even though I probably didn’t even want what he was selling in the first place. This has obviously been true pretty much everywhere I’ve been, but it was the first time it really hit me and made me have a bit more empathy and understanding for these overaggressive sales tactics. Finally, though I know there are still serious issues with gender equality, I didn’t sense that women were treated as second class citizens as much as I expected to. I actually saw more women out and about in town than I did when I was in Delhi. Most women still wear the hijab, hopefully by choice, but many also do not. When I first arrived I thought I might wear a scarf over my own head in order to better blend in, but I honestly did not really feel the need. In Marrakech, I would say the proportion of local women wearing a head scarf to those not wearing one was about 70 to 30. In Casablanca, which again seemed a bit more progressive, I would say the proportion was closer to 60 to 40 if not 55 to 45. Again, if women are covering their heads by choice then I have no objection, but if they are doing so because society says they must, then clearly I welcome greater opportunity for freedom of expression for everyone.
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