Fully Immersed in Morocco
Maryam Pate '20 spent her summer in Morocco, studying the intersection of religion and feminism as part of the Lauren Sarah Hester '87 Fellowship program.
This summer, as part of the Lauren Sarah Hester ’87 Fellowship program, I spent a month in Morocco, studying the relationship between Islamic and secular perspectives in the contemporary Moroccan feminist movement. I traveled to five cities and interviewed Moroccans for a podcast series I created about Islamic and secular feminism.
I spent my first week in the capital city, Rabat, at the Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, where I interviewed staff about how they empower rural women to become social entrepreneurs.
In Fez, I stayed in the largest medina (market) in the world, and the experience was unforgettable; the sights of colorful textiles and wooden Arabic carvings, the sounds of donkeys and merchants, and the scents of a nearby leather tannery surrounded me as I roamed. At the American Language Center, I met with students passionate about the role of women in Moroccan society. For one interview, I sat in a classroom for nearly two hours with other students, debating, laughing, and sharing; soon my microphone faded into the background. I am particularly grateful for moments like these and will not forget them.
In Chefchaouen, a town in the Rif Mountains, every outlook I had gathered thus far was challenged. I got to hear rural perspectives and to observe a part of Morocco where education for girls is benched, due to economic hardship and customs, and where economic opportunities for women are scarce.
And in Casablanca, I spent time with the family of the late Fatema Mernissi, a renowned sociologist/feminist whose work initially led me to examine Islamic feminism. Seeing and hearing manifestations of the work of a role model of mine is another experience I will never forget.
This opportunity was transformative; the freedom to design my own project and carry it out provided me with the most enriching experience possible. I merged my passion for podcasts with an interest in religion, and along the way I made friends across the world. The most significant part of this experience, however, was the chance to fully engage. Being alone was a welcome challenge that left me space to absorb my environment and take meaning from each experience. I returned to America with a shift in my understanding of just some of the obstacles that women face around the world, as well as a new viewpoint on feminism and the way it functions in different environments.
I concluded the fellowship infinitely more curious than I was at its start. Coming so close to my topic of study exposed me to a form of learning that extends beyond the classroom. I hope to someday return to Morocco, but until then, I will seek to recreate that affecting learning experience wherever possible.
You can listen to Maryam’s podcast online at soundcloud.com/thepeanutgallery11.
I spent my first week in the capital city, Rabat, at the Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, where I interviewed staff about how they empower rural women to become social entrepreneurs.
In Fez, I stayed in the largest medina (market) in the world, and the experience was unforgettable; the sights of colorful textiles and wooden Arabic carvings, the sounds of donkeys and merchants, and the scents of a nearby leather tannery surrounded me as I roamed. At the American Language Center, I met with students passionate about the role of women in Moroccan society. For one interview, I sat in a classroom for nearly two hours with other students, debating, laughing, and sharing; soon my microphone faded into the background. I am particularly grateful for moments like these and will not forget them.
In Chefchaouen, a town in the Rif Mountains, every outlook I had gathered thus far was challenged. I got to hear rural perspectives and to observe a part of Morocco where education for girls is benched, due to economic hardship and customs, and where economic opportunities for women are scarce.
And in Casablanca, I spent time with the family of the late Fatema Mernissi, a renowned sociologist/feminist whose work initially led me to examine Islamic feminism. Seeing and hearing manifestations of the work of a role model of mine is another experience I will never forget.
This opportunity was transformative; the freedom to design my own project and carry it out provided me with the most enriching experience possible. I merged my passion for podcasts with an interest in religion, and along the way I made friends across the world. The most significant part of this experience, however, was the chance to fully engage. Being alone was a welcome challenge that left me space to absorb my environment and take meaning from each experience. I returned to America with a shift in my understanding of just some of the obstacles that women face around the world, as well as a new viewpoint on feminism and the way it functions in different environments.
I concluded the fellowship infinitely more curious than I was at its start. Coming so close to my topic of study exposed me to a form of learning that extends beyond the classroom. I hope to someday return to Morocco, but until then, I will seek to recreate that affecting learning experience wherever possible.
You can listen to Maryam’s podcast online at soundcloud.com/thepeanutgallery11.