Title Women and modernity: the global and the local in Moroccan women's NGOs' advocacy and ...

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Women and modernity: the global and the local in Moroccan
Title
women's NGOs' advocacy and public awareness work
Author(s) Lounasmaa, Aura
Publication
2013-08-30
Date
Item record http://hdl.handle.net/10379/4931
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WOMEN AND MODERNITY: THE GLOBAL AND THE LOCAL IN
MOROCCAN WOMEN'S NGOS' ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC
AWARENESS WORK

by

Aura Lounasmaa

A thesis submitted to the Department of Political Science and Sociology
In conformity with the requirements for
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Supervisor
Dr. Nata Duvvury

Global Women’s Studies Programme,
School of Political Science and Sociology,
National University of Ireland, Galway

August, 2013

Copyright ©Aura Lounasmaa, 2013
Abstract

This thesis examines the referential and linguistic strategies used by Moroccan women’s NGOs in
their advocacy and public awareness work. The study is based on interviews with 24 NGO directors
from geographically and ideologically wide ranging women’s groups across Morocco. Sally Engle
Merry’s (2009) work on translating between the global and the local in women’s rights activism is
used to make sense of the referential used by NGOs and how language is constructed to signify the
concept of modernity that each NGO supports. The findings of this thesis point to a complex
relationship between right-based and faith-based NGOs. Although presenting themselves in binary
opposition to each other, the goals, referential and narratives of the groups are often parallel. An
important consideration for this thesis is the strategies NGOs use to negotiate the narratives of
activism and advocacy between the local and the global. The referential women’s NGOs in Morocco
are using include human rights, religion, Moroccan traditions, democracy and science. All of these
are used dynamically depending on the issue at hand and the changing political context of Morocco.
This thesis provides a wealth of empirical evidence on the complexities of linguistic strategies in
women’s activism in Morocco and places them in the political and social context of the country. It
also examines the ways in which concepts such as modernity and democracy are constantly
constructed and renegotiated in the changing context NGOs operate in.
i
Acknowledgements

First of all, I wish to thank all my participants for the time and knowledge they contributed
to my research. They all did this with the promise of feedback only, and each one made an
important contribution to the knowledge this thesis has gathered and presents. Others who
helped me in Morocco are Prof. Fatima Sadiqi, Dr. Souad Slaoui, Stephanie Willman-
Bordat, Ambassador Antti Rytovuori and all my colleagues at the Embassy. Secondly, I
need to thank all the staff and students in NUI Galway who provided constant support,
advice and encouragement to my project. I owe a special gratitude to my supervisor Dr.
Nata Duvvury, who provided both academic and personal guidance throughout the five
years of my journey to this research. The rest of my advisory panel, Dr. Niamh Reilly, Dr.
Su-Ming Khoo and Dr. Kate Kenny shared their expertise and lead me to new insights. I
also owe special gratitude to Dr. Mary Clancy and Dr. Anne Byrne, who acted as mentors in
my teaching activities. My colleagues in the Global Women’s Studies Programme and in the
College of Arts were a constant source of moral support and laughter and I will cherish their
friendship as I leave Galway behind. I couldn’t have finished this thesis without the support
of Emma, Emily, Marja, Tanja, Carol, Caroline, Clionadh, Ciara B., Ciara G., Tanya,
Barbara and the rest of the writing group. I also wish to thank all my friends in Morocco,
especially my friend, assistant and companion through my research, Houda Berdaa. Finally
I need to thank my family and friends who have endured my moods, my stress and despair
and continued to love me and support me regardless.
ii
Statement of Originality

(Required only for Division IV Ph.D.)

I hereby certify that all of the work described within this thesis is the original work of the author.
Any published (or unpublished) ideas and/or techniques from the work of others are fully
acknowledged in accordance with the standard referencing practices.

Aura Lounasmaa

August, 2013
iii
Table of Contents
Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. i
Acknowledgements ...............................................................................................................................ii
Statement of Originality ...................................................................................................................... iii
Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................. iv
List of Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... viii
Chapter 1 Introduction: “Why are you studying African women, why not study women in Finland?”
..............................................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Research questions ...................................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Background to the study .............................................................................................................. 5
1.3 Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 11
1.4 Structure of thesis .................................................................................................................... 13
Chapter 2 Theorising women’s activism in Morocco: between modernity and democratisation......... 17
2.1 Moroccan women’s activism in between the global and the local ........................................... 18
2.1.1 Religion and Culture ........................................................................................................ 18
2.1.2 Activism and the state ...................................................................................................... 19
2.1.3 Family Law Reform Campaigns ...................................................................................... 21
2.1.4 Policy ............................................................................................................................... 22
2.1.5 Current research into women and civil society in Morocco ............................................. 23
2.2 Democracy and theories of democratisation ............................................................................ 26
2.3 Feminists? Womanists? Women activists? .............................................................................. 32
2.4 Translating norms between global and local ........................................................................... 38
2.5 Women’s rights and relativism ................................................................................................ 44
2.6 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 46
Chapter 3 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 49
3.1 Theory informing the research ................................................................................................ 50
3.2 Epistemology .......................................................................................................................... 51
3.3 Feminist epistemology in support of constructionist research ................................................. 56
3.4 Study Design ........................................................................................................................... 57
3.5 Selection criteria ...................................................................................................................... 59
iv
3.6 Transcribing – translating ........................................................................................................ 70
3.7 Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 71
3.8 Ethical dilemmas fieldwork challenges ................................................................................... 75
3.9 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 80
Chapter 4 History of Moroccan political structures and civil society ................................................ 82
4.1 Brief history ............................................................................................................................ 85
4.2 Pluralism and democracy in Morocco ..................................................................................... 88
4.3 Mohammed VI – the cool king ............................................................................................... 92
4.4 Monarchy as a political institution .......................................................................................... 94
4.5 The rise of political Islam in Morocco .................................................................................... 96
4.6 Who is Civil Society? .............................................................................................................. 99
4.7 The Arab Spring in Morocco ................................................................................................. 102
4.8 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 103
Chapter 5 Women’s civil society in Morocco ................................................................................. 111
5.1 History of women’s activism ................................................................................................ 112
5.2 Moudawana ........................................................................................................................... 116
5.3 Women’s NGOs activities after Moudawana ........................................................................ 119
5.4 Women and political participation ........................................................................................ 122
5.5 Competing modernities in Moroccan women’s NGOs’ referential ....................................... 126
5.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 134
Chapter 6 Women’s NGOs campaign materials .............................................................................. 137
6.1 Sourcing the documentation .................................................................................................. 139
6.2 Tracing NGO materials through time .................................................................................... 140
6.3 Language in documents ......................................................................................................... 143
6.4 Types of documents .............................................................................................................. 143
6.5 NGO websites ....................................................................................................................... 148
6.6 Keywords and themes ........................................................................................................... 150
6.6.1 Religion .......................................................................................................................... 150
6.6.2 Feminism ........................................................................................................................ 152
6.6.3 Violence against women ................................................................................................. 154
6.6.4 Democracy ..................................................................................................................... 156
6.6.5 Equality and equity ......................................................................................................... 158
6.7 Funding ................................................................................................................................. 159
v
6.8 Strategies and referential of women’s NGOs ........................................................................ 160
6.8.1 Feminist Spring for Democracy and Equality ................................................................ 161
6.8.2 Faith-based organisations ............................................................................................... 163
6.8.3 Women Shoufouch ......................................................................................................... 167
6.9 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 172
Chapter 7 From binaries to complexity of referential ...................................................................... 175
7.1 Choosing a referential ........................................................................................................... 181
7.2 Human rights as referential ................................................................................................... 184
7.3 Islam and Ijtihad .................................................................................................................... 189
7.4 Traditions .............................................................................................................................. 191
7.5 “Good traditions” – foundations of Moroccanness ................................................................ 199
7.6 International influences ......................................................................................................... 202
7.7 Democracy ............................................................................................................................ 205
7.8 Is support for the monarchy anti-democratic? ....................................................................... 210
7.9 Networks and divisions ......................................................................................................... 214
7.10 Constituency from “Real women” to elites ......................................................................... 223
7.11 Science and statistics ........................................................................................................... 226
7.12 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 229
Chapter 8 Translated modernities .................................................................................................... 231
8.1 Human Rights as local and modern ....................................................................................... 234
8.2 Translation as a tool for activism .......................................................................................... 238
8.3 Traditions and modernities in NGOs’ referential .................................................................. 242
8.4 Democracy ............................................................................................................................ 248
8.4.1 Vernacularisation of Democracy .................................................................................... 257
8.5 The language of science as a sign of modernity .................................................................... 258
8.6 Alliances and divisions across referential and modernities ................................................... 263
8.7 Contributions to theory .......................................................................................................... 267
8.8 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 269
Chapter 9 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 273
9.1 Research Aims and how they were met ................................................................................. 275
9.2 Limitations of this study ........................................................................................................ 280
9.3 Contribution .......................................................................................................................... 283
9.4 Future research needs ............................................................................................................ 286
vi
Bibliography (or References) .......................................................................................................... 288
Appendix A Women’s Organisations in Morocco ........................................................................... 296
Appendix B Key Informant Interviews ........................................................................................... 311
Appendix C Timelines .................................................................................................................... 313
vii
List of Abbreviations
ADFM…………………………………Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc
AMDF…………………………………….Association Marocaine des Droits des Femmes
AMDH…………………………………….Association Marocaine des Droits de l’Homme
CCDH…………………………………………Conceil Consultatif des Droits de l’Homme
CEDAW.……………….Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
FAR………………………………………………………………..Forces Armées Royales
INDH………………………………………Initiative National de Développement Humain
INGO……………………………………..…International non-governmental organisation
IPDF…………………………………..Initiatives pour la protection des droits des femmes
LDDF…..……………………………………Ligue Démocratique des Droits des Femmes
MP……………………………………………………………………Movement Populaire
MENA………………………………………………………Middle East and North-Africa
NGO………………………………………………………Non-governmental organisation
OMDH.…………………………………..Organisation Marocain des Droits de l’Homme
PAM………………………………………………………..Parti Authenticité et Modernité
PADS…………………………………….Parti de l’Avant Garde Démocratique Socialiste
PANIFD…………….Plan National d’Action d’Inclusion des Femmes au Développement
PJD…………………………………………………………Parti Justice et Développement
PPS………………………………………………………..Parti du progres et du socialism
UAF…………………………………………………………...Union de l’Action Féminine
UNFP……………………………………………….Union National des Forces Populaires
USFP…………………………………………………Union Sociale des Forces Populaire
viii