In Morocco, conversations about equality and gender justice are gaining ground. In debates about reforming discriminatory legislation — especially the family law, known as Mudawwana — the country’s youth demand a voice in the discussion.
In close collaboration with two researchers and a group of young people trained to conduct interviews, KVINFO has published a study that provides unique insight into how young Moroccans view gender, equality, and the role of youth in shaping future legislation.
The study of young people’s perspectives on gender stereotypes — combined with an examination of how gender stereotypes are embedded in Moroccan law — supports the current momentum in Morocco to address the social norms and everyday interactions that constitute barriers to gender equality.
Morocco’s young people speak out
Morocco is in a decisive transitional period. Nearly half of the country’s population is under 25, yet young voices are rarely heard in the political processes shaping the nation’s future. Recent political reforms and King Mohammed VI’s explicit support for revising legislation have created a window for real change, including in the area of gender equality.
Focus on youth participation
KVINFO collaborates with other organizations in Morocco (EuroMed Rights, Munathara, and Youth Policy Center) to strengthen youth participation in dialogue about social and legislative change. This happens through the project Youth Inclusion in Gender Just Law Reform, which the study contributes new knowledge to.
The organizations work to ensure that young voices are heard by building capacity, training youth to analyze gender stereotypes, and teaching dialogue methods for media participation and direct engagement with decision-makers — for example, through TV shows posted online. Especially young people from marginalized areas experience being heard for the first time. Their stories and aspirations are now integrated into political discussions with representatives from authorities and politics, which may help ensure that a revised family law truly reflects the needs and dreams of youth.
Some young Moroccans are ready to take the lead and guide a conversation that will set the country on course toward a more gender-just future. Their courage to challenge stereotypical notions of gender, their understanding of equality, and their innovative approach to religion and gender roles point toward a future with more opportunities for youth regardless of gender.
According to the Youth Policy Center, more than 80 percent of young people are interested in politics, but they feel that existing parties and debates do not address their needs and interests. Youth deserve better opportunities to participate actively in politics and decision-making — for their own sake and for Morocco’s.
KVINFO has initiated a study resulting in the report Youth Perspectives on Gender Stereotypes and Gender Justice in Morocco. Youth organized in the Youth Policy Center, a Moroccan youth organization, collaborated with KVINFO and two researchers to interview 60 peers aged 18–29 in cities and rural areas, as well as a smaller group of teachers, researchers, and religious leaders. In selecting interviewees, the team prioritized diversity — for example, including both youth who see faith as central to their daily lives and those who do not; married and unmarried youth; those born in Morocco and those who were not, etc.
When stereotypes become obstacles
The study’s findings are striking in two main ways:
First, Moroccan youth describe gender stereotypes as deeply rooted in everyday life. Men are expected to be strong providers with little emotion, while women are expected to be caring and primarily responsible for the home.
Second, the study shows that young people are divided in their views on gender stereotypes. Some believe stereotypes and existing gender roles are natural and fixed parts of Moroccan society; others see them as tied to the hierarchical order of a patriarchal society and therefore open to change.
Another interesting finding is that stereotypes harm not only women but also men — and young men in Morocco are aware of this. This recognition seems to open the door for men to engage in the discussion as well.
Some men describe how they are expected to suppress emotions and shoulder enormous financial responsibility, which negatively affects their mental health. One young man from Casablanca says: “Boys and men must be strong. You must not cry, especially not in front of a woman. You must always be strong. And you are responsible for everything, all hard work.” He expresses clear frustration: “No matter what you do, what you know, what your abilities are, everyone always has the same fixed expectation of you as a man: that you must find a really good job and take care of the whole family.” A young woman says: “A woman is usually defined as someone who obeys her husband and who can cook and clean.” Both statements show distance from stereotypes as inherent — they can be analyzed, discussed, and observed.
Others perceive stereotypes as natural and unquestionable. A man states: “Apart from being reliable, we can say that the characteristics of a man are strength in attitude and personality. He is stronger.” Similarly, some women describe women’s traits: “Women speak more from their emotions. They have logic, of course, but they speak more with feelings than logic, while men are the opposite.” This woman softens the view somewhat — genders are different, but that does not mean they cannot understand each other. It raises the question of whether these differences are inherent or learned, as Simone de Beauvoir suggested.
Some women experience stereotypes as both limiting and protective, highlighting the complexity of challenging norms. A young woman from Fes explains: “I struggled with shame in my own family. I was not allowed to do many things I wanted, like going out with my mother.” Many young women also express sympathy with parents’ desire to protect them, for example by restricting mobility.
Youth Redefine Equality
The study shows momentum for challenging restrictive gender norms, but also resistance to abandoning them entirely.
Although there is broad support among youth for equality and some rejection of gender norms, this does not mean they want to dissolve all stereotypes. Instead, many speak of gender justice, where men and women have different biological advantages that affect division of labor, but where both genders have equal status and respect. For some, stereotypes are seen as arising from factual differences between genders.
A young woman from Al Haouz, a province near Marrakech, explains: “I don’t think men and women are the same. But when we understand each other, we can also try to understand the differences we have, and that’s where we can find solutions to all problems.” Genders are different, but that does not mean they cannot understand each other.
Pathways to equality: Education and economy
Stories like these show how stereotypes and restrictive norms affect young people’s lives in concrete ways, influencing decisions about education and work.
Economic pressure also plays a major role in youth perspectives on equality. Several young men emphasize that the financial burden placed solely on them is not only outdated but unrealistic in today’s economy.
A young man from Marrakech notes: “Yes, it is actually possible that women can also work outside the home, and that the man can cook and wash dishes. I can do housework. If my wife works, I’ll gladly stay home and take care of the house until she comes home, and then I can go out to work.”
Education is repeatedly highlighted as a key path toward greater equality. Youth see education as crucial for challenging stereotypes and opening new opportunities for both genders. In rural areas, young women face barriers to further education, linked not only to stereotypes but also to infrastructure and economic constraints.
Faith, transformation, and stereotypes
Religion and culture continue to play central roles in shaping gender norms. Many young people, not only in rural areas, refer to Islamic texts as legitimizing stereotypes. Yet some criticize how religious writings are misused to justify women’s oppression.
One young woman says: “Men misunderstand the hadith.” She refers to stories of the Prophet’s life that suggest women are emotional and sometimes think more with the heart than the mind. “But that doesn’t mean,” she adds, “that men are more intelligent than women or that everything men say is true.”
Young people lead the way toward change
The study of youth perspectives on stereotypes — combined with KVINFO’s study of how stereotypes are embedded in Moroccan law — supports the current momentum in Morocco to address social norms and everyday interactions that hinder equality.
Recently, the Ministry of Solidarity, Integration and Family announced preparations for a national plan to combat stereotypes. A UN Women program in Morocco, as well as in Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan, titled Dare to Care: Transforming Patriarchal Masculinities and Social Norms, and since 2023 supported by international development agencies such as GIZ and SIDA, confirms this momentum.
The report confirms that some Moroccan youth are ready to challenge and modify stereotypes. Their perspectives are crucial for the country’s development. However, it is primarily well-educated youth who demand political recognition, more flexible norms, and equal opportunities for participation in society.
The study thus underscores how complex and nuanced youth approaches to equality are: they do not simply want to reject stereotypes, but rather to modify them so they are less restrictive.
