Violences à l’encontre des femmes dans l’espace public : le cas du Maroc

Abstract

The purpose of this communication is to study violence against women in public spaces. Indeed, although we usually put the most emphasis on violence perpetrated in the private home, the fact remains that violence in the streets is as important and serious, in that it constitutes an obstacle to the mobility of women. Thus, the question of insecurity experienced by women in and outside of urban security in general is the real question. Our study is based on the results of fieldwork carried out among women in Rabat (Morocco). We will treat the different forms of violence against women in public spaces (physical, sexual, psychological); its perception by women, the consequences on their physical and mental health and on their family and social life. The analysis will include their responses to such violence, such as strategies of acceptance and resignation (due to the internalization of gender norms, for fear of reprisals, the judgements of others, etc.); strategies to circumvent, developed by women in order to cope (like the invisibility provided by the garment); or mobilizations, which are a form of resistance and denunciation of these acts of violence in order to break the silence around violence against women.