Promoting gender equality in Moroccan educational institutions: reality or illusion?

Abstract

The paper seeks to investigate the extent to which the reproduction of gender inequalities in educational institutions shapes Moroccan students’ identities through the intersection between gender stereotypes in the textbooks, manuals and media and the reproduction of traditional gender roles within family and society as a whole. By so doing, the paper argues that despite the fact that Moroccan universities have made good initiatives as far as the culture of gender equality is concerned by introducing gender studies course at the university level, the traditional gender roles seem to be still reproduced. The study particularly explains why a radical change from the pre-schooling to the schooling and the family institution to the higher education is important in shaping gender identities of Moroccan university students. It demonstrates that to promote the gender equality culture among students all stakeholders (policy makers, the family, media, educational institutions, etc.) should collaborate in order to reform the curriculum so as to deconstruct the stereotypes generated in the media and textbooks.