Rabat – International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women worldwide and shed light on inspiring female figures who shine in different domains. Young Moroccan journalist and author Nesrine Slaoui serves as a great example, as she has created a name for herself despite coming from a disadvantaged background and facing immense racism and gender-based discrimination.
Born in 1994 to Moroccan parents, Slaoui grew up in southern France, in the suburbs of a small town near Avignon. Her mother worked as a cleaning lady while her father was a bricklayer.
Coming from a migrant, working-class family, Slaoui realized that she had to work harder to establish herself and make her voice heard. She received an undergraduate degree at Sciences Po Grenoble, then a master’s degree in journalism at the prestigious Sciences Po Paris university.
In a widely shared clip on French video outlet Brut France, Slaoui told her story and shed light on the sacrifices that working families make to ensure a promising future for their children.
She also spoke about the discrimination she faced while pursuing her education at Sciences Po Paris, as many doubted her “legitimacy” and argued that she did not deserve to study as she did not come from an affluent family.
In the video, which garnered over 16 million views on Facebook, Slaoui highlighted that children of working-class parents make up only 4% of Bac+5 degree holders (master’s level). Being one of the 4%, Slaoui noted that it is important for people like her to tell their stories and motivate those coming from a similar background to achieve their dreams.
Battling Sexism
Slaoui had established an important online presence, tackling a wide range of societal issues, including feminism and anti-racism. As her online following grew, she started receiving immense criticism, notably sexist remarks, which took its toll.
“After years of sharing my opinion online and building a community of people interested in topics such as feminism and anti-racism, I left Twitter for my safety and my sanity … even though it was an essential platform for the visibility of my work as a journalist,” she said at a TEDx Talk conference in June 2022.
Despite the hard work she put into her work and book, Slaoui received harsh, sexist comments, one example read: “she doesn’t even realize that she is not interesting, but people listen to her because she’s pretty.”
“With all my experiences, as a young North African living in France, I realized that the reason why I do everything is because I wanted to be heard and listened to … not seen and looked at,” she stressed.
Slaoui has strongly rejected the objectification and sexualization of women, stressing the need for the world to respect their intelligence and contributions to society. It was then that she realized that sexism was added to the mix of problems she had to battle.
Published in 2021, Slaoui’s book “Illegitimes” (French for Illegitimate) reflects the Moroccan journalist’s idea of legitimacy and her journey toward achieving it through her personal experience.
“To accept being illegitimate is to stop chasing a legitimacy that will not be given to me and to decide to exist in this space, to reveal it to the world and to be free there,” said an extract from Slaoui’s book.
She argued that legitimacy is a “social construction” that excludes many people and “reduces” their field of possibilities, notably those coming from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Through her story, Slaoui attempts to inspire people that share the same struggles as her and help them break those chains and embrace their ideas, creativity, ambitions, and self-confidence.
“I freed myself when I gave up the quest for legitimacy … I blossomed when I decided to fully accept all my identities,” she emphasized.
