Everyday gendered violence: women’s experiences of and discourses on street sexual harassment in Morocco

Abstract

ABSTRACT According to statistics and media coverage, street sexual harassment is a prevalent form of gendered violence in Morocco. Yet, research about sexual harassment in the public space is underestimated and understudied, and its reasons and consequences remain apparently imperceptible to the daily interactions of men and women. The article seeks to explore the social meaning of women’s experiences of street harassment through qualitative interviews with individuals and focus groups. Women’s narratives are analysed, from a feminist and critical perspective, in order to represent and interpret emerging discourses about harassment. The objective of this research is to highlight the responsibility of religious, political and economic institutions, as well as the role of the family and mothers in particular, in legitimating gender inequalities and fostering violent behaviours and practices towards girls and women. The results of investigations reveal the cultural normalisation of sexual harassment, the sexual objectification of the female body and the negotiation of concepts of culpability and apology within gendered norms. That said, the study confirms that street harassment is indeed a manifestation of power relationships, a device of social control and a symbol of gender discrimination.