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Rabat – “Moroccan Feminisms: New Perspectives” is a new book edited by the Morocco university researchers Moha Ennaji and Fatima Sadiqi and the Dutch Philosophy Professor Karen Vintges. Published by Africa World Press in the US, this book, of 252 pages, deals with the types of Moroccan feminism and their developments and ramifications for women and society.
It includes ten chapters motivated by the growing interest in gender and women’s studies, and explores the various aspects of Moroccan feminism from a historical, a sociological and comparative perspective. The chapters discuss women and politics, women’s NGOs, female identities, women and Sufism, their role in the 20 February movement and in society in general.
The chapters address these issues from various but inter-related perspectives: secular, Islamic, grassroots, etc., often referring to feminist figures to make a point. Taken together, the chapters tell the story of feminisms born and developing in Morocco, a Muslim and emerging country where women’s and gender issues are increasingly becoming central to political actors on the national level. As such, the chapters of this volume carry hope for future academic research on Moroccan feminist voices and discourses.
The book argues that feminism in Morocco is becoming polyvocal in character, which necessitates the use of the plural form “Moroccan feminisms” rather than “Moroccan feminism.”
The present volume aims to take stock of these feminisms as constitutive of Morocco’s current political scene, and as an aspect that qualifies the country as an important player in the Middle East and North Africa. The multilingual and multicultural aspects of the country obviously color Moroccan feminisms as well.
This book also seeks to promote academic debates about the interplay between women’s movements and corresponding counter movements in the region. It discusses the various strands of Moroccan feminisms and women’s organizations which strive for the empowerment of women. Its main focus is the various practices of female Moroccan activists and the discourses they use to underpin their struggle for women’s emancipation, political participation, and legal rights. Using a comparative approach to underscore women’s agency in various political and socio-economic contexts, the book highlights the fact that agency can be appreciated only if women’s specific socio-cultural context is well understood.
Moroccan and international experts partook in the writing of this book, namely: Mario Buitelaar, Valérie Orlando, Mohamed Yachoulti, Aziza Ouguir, Souad Eddouada, Soumiya Belhabib, Raja Rhouni, Sara Borrillo, Meriem Yafout, Susan Schaefer Davis, Amina Yabis, in addition to Moha Ennaji, Fatima Sadiqi, and Karen Vintges.
