Modernizing Patriarchy THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Modernizing Patriarchy The Politics of Women’s Rights in Morocco Katja Žvan Elliott University of Texas Press   Austin Copyright © 2015 by the University of Texas Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America First edition, 2015 Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to: Permissions University of Texas Press P.O. Box 7819 Austin, TX 78713- 7819 http://utpress.utexas.edu/index.php/rp- form All photographs courtesy of the author. ♾ The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992 (R1997) (Permanence of Paper). Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Žvan Elliot, Katja, 1978-  Modernizing patriarchy : the politics of women’s rights in Morocco / Katja Žvan Elliott. — First edition.   pages cm  ISBN 978- 1- 4773-0 244-6 (cloth)  ISBN 978- 1- 4773-0 245-3 (library e- book)  ISBN 978- 1- 4773-0 246-0 (non- library e- book) 1. Women’s rights—Morocco. 2. Feminism—Morocco. 3. Women— Morocco—Social conditions—21st century. I. Title.  HQ1236.5.M8Z83 2015  305.4096409′05—dc23 2014031033 doi:10.7560/302446 To my babi, mom, and sister. For they are amazing women. [H]ow can society achieve progress, while women, who represent half the nation, see their rights violated and suffer as a result of injustice, violence and marginalization, notwithstanding the dignity and justice granted them by our glorious religion? —Ministry of CoMMuniCation, 2003 Since acceding to the throne of his noble ancestors, His Majesty King Muhammad VI, our Chief Commander of the Faithful, may God protect him, has made the promotion of human rights a priority which lies at the very heart of the modernist democratic social project of which His Majesty is a leader. Doing justice to women, protecting children’s rights and preserving men’s dignity are a fundamental part of this project, which adheres to Islam’s tolerant ends and objectives, notably justice, equality, solidarity, ijtihad [juridical reasoning] and receptiveness to the spirit of our modern era and the requirements of progress and development. —PrEaMblE to thE 2004 faMily CodE His Majesty King Muhammad VI . . . has insisted . . . on making the Moroccan family—based upon shared responsibility, affection, equality, equity, amicable social relations and proper upbringing of children—a substantial major component of the democratization process, given that the family constitutes the essential nucleus of society. —PrEaMblE to thE 2004 faMily CodE These provisions should not be regarded as flawless, nor should they be perceived from a fanatic angle. Instead, you should address them with realism and clear- sightedness, keeping in mind that this is an ijtihad effort which is suitable for Morocco at this point in time, in its endeavors to achieve the development objective it is pursuing a wise, gradual, and determined manner. —Ministry of CoMMuniCation, 2003 Contents Acknowledgments ix Note on Transliteration xiii Abbreviations xv Introduction 1 1. Ethnographic Reflections 21 2. Politicization of Gender 35 3. The State, the Public, and Women’s Rights 67 4. Twenty- First- Century Marriage: Gender Equality or Complementarity? 97 5. Rural, Educated, and Single 141 Conclusion 175 Appendix 187 Notes 191 Glossary 209 Bibliography 211 Index 231 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Acknowledgments Writing acknowledgments is like saying good-b ye to friends you are leaving behind. It is necessarily emotional and filled with fond, but also sad, memories. My father passed away only a few months before I could phone him to let him know that this manuscript, at the time still in the form of a PhD dissertation, is written. I wish we had more time to catch up on what was once almost lost. I wish we had more time to talk, listen to each other, and reconnect. Yearning not death makes you cry. The dead find their rest in the earth (Anti- Atlas tazrrart, quoted in Hoffman 2008). I hope you have found it. My grandmother and my mother are the two women in my life who taught me what it means to be a woman. Despite their enormous hardships in life, they always reemerged more beautiful and stronger than ever. They showed me how to survive, live, and love. It is to you, my dear babi and mami, that I dedicate this book. My sis- ter is my role model. Her incredible achievements, dedication to her re- search, and integrity are sometimes frightening, but ever since we were little she has never once doubted my abilities and has always encouraged me to work hard(er). She also devoted much of her free time to com- ment on my drafts, for which I am immensely grateful. It is to you, my dear Matejka, that I also dedicate this book. I feel privileged to have the Elliotts in my life and that they have accepted me as their daughter. I am eternally grateful for their love and support, which has been more than generous. You, my dear Derek, to you I owe my sanity and serenity. With- out your love, humor, and gentle reminders that there are things in life other than my work, without your carefully organized trips away from my desk, I would have had a much harder and much less enjoyable time writing this book. Also, watching you transform into a loving and tender father in a matter of seconds has been truly inspiring. And finally, when