I met a Moroccan guy on the train to Marrakesh. It wasn’t the Express so we had a lot of time to chat. His English was good enough to get him a job as a tour guide because he had perfected it while working at his uncle’s pizza parlor in Peoria. And since he’d lived in the US and now dealt with tourists, I assumed he was enlightened.
As he traveled to his mother's house for dinner, he offered some free history and pointed out interesting sites, like vineyards. He said he really enjoyed Moroccan wine and beer. I was surprised that Morocco has a wine industry. I was more surprised that he drank. When he said he had no religious issues with alcohol, I assumed he was liberal.
So I asked him, “Back at the train station I saw a sign in French asking people to enjoy the celebration of International Women’s Day. Is anything happening today?”
He said he knew about the day but not about special events, so I asked him what a visitor like me should know about Moroccan women. I figured an official tour guide would have an answer, and he did.
He said there are three types of Moroccan women. Those who cover their hair, those who cover their hair and parts of the face, and those who cover everything and never leave the house. “You will never see them.”
“What about women doctors?” I asked. He said those came from rich families and were educated in Paris. He didn't count professional women as typically Moroccan.
Still hoping that this well traveled young guy was somewhat open-minded, I asked him about the future. “What about education for your daughters [when you have them]? Will you encourage them?”
He surprised me. “No. Women don’t need education.” And that's when I noticed that he never made eye contact with me—only with my husband. Of course not, I thought. A woman's place is to keep house and spoil the sons.
It's true that the Moroccan economy is not booming, so, for their sake, I hope tourism continues because it is an amazing country. Yet here's a clue. Many expert economists and sociologists have told me that if a country wants to improve its economy, the first thing it must do is empower women. When women are successful, so are men. And so I'm hoping that the next time Morocco wants to celebrate The International Day of the Woman, the average man on the street, like this guy, can get a better notion of the true spirit of the occasion.
- Nancy Adair nancyadair2002@yahoo.com
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