Aziza Bakkali; On the Efforts of Moroccan Islamic Feminist Associations in Boosting the Role of Women in the Political and Legal Domains

The women’s political and legal roles in Morocco are increasingly significant and influential in society. In this interview, we will discuss with Aziza Bakkali the role of the Azzahrae feminist network of 135 associations in boosting women’s roles and providing legal and political services appropriate to the Moroccan women’s ultimate needs.

It is essential to mention that Aziza Bakkali is a former parliamentarian, and the head of the Azzahrae network; she is also the mother of 4 children. Her efforts in political and legal assistance to women are highly effective and nationally and internationally recognized.

 

Islamic Feminist Association 

 

What are the projects and initiatives undertaken by the Azzahrae Forum to encourage the involvement of Moroccan women in the legal and political field?

Aziza Bakkali: Azzahrae Forum for Moroccan Women is a national women’s human rights and cultural body that works on women’s and family issues with a renewal approach that stems from the Islamic reference and opens up to global human values.

In its work, the Forum adopts the principle of subordination with the affiliated associations in the network (currently 135), with regard to all direct services that Moroccan women benefit from (listening and guidance, legal support, awareness, and sensitization, economic empowerment projects…etc.). The forum is centrally specialized in everything related to following up on public policies related to women and family issues, coming up with suggestions, and pleading with decision-makers. In addition to many programs to strengthen the capacities of associations in implementing the human rights approach in their curricula and work to improve their services for the benefit of women. Such as:

● Participation and submission of written and oral statements in the sessions of the Committee on the Status of Women in New York annual sessions since 2012 until now.

● Participation and submission of written and oral statements in the sessions of the Human Rights Council 2016-2018-2019.

● The multi-year program "Engaging" association leaders in advocacy and public policies 2016-2020.

● A legal study on the rights of working women between the national legal requirement and international labor standards 2017-2018.

 

Do Moroccan Women interact positively with the proposed initiatives in the human rights and political fields?

Aziza Bakkali: Moroccan Women interact positively with most of the initiatives and projects implemented by the Forum within the framework of the participatory approach. We create consultation spaces run by the associations of the Forum’s network and in which concerned women participate. In fact, these projects are appropriate for women and consistent with their needs, which is positively reflected on the involvement of women in initiatives and projects.

 

What are the main challenges you face?

Aziza Bakkali: On the one hand, there are common challenges with the components of associative action as a whole in Morocco in terms of the constraints it faces, both with regard to the legal environment for the work of associations that need a comprehensive review. As well as the partnership between the state and civil society that should be activated and upgraded to an actual partnership in decision-making, in addition to the ability to mobilize the resources that need effort in order to strengthen them to assure their sustainability.

On the other hand, there are challenges related to the nature of women’s associations lying in the need to develop the structure of the forum’s network to keep pace with the challenges of the expanded regionalism. While creating specializations within the specialization of women’s work to achieve better efficiency in performance with further development of expertise in the field of women’s human rights work nationally and internationally, we need to create major alliances between different women's currents in order to serve women's issues and democracy.

 

International Conventions vs. the Islamic Religion Principles

 

Does the Islamic Doctrine contradict with the international human rights initiatives?

Aziza Bakkali: It should be noted that the International Bill of Human Rights, in which various countries participated, including the Islamic countries, resulted in reference documents that draw on the supreme principles of the monotheistic religions. As we find them stemming from human dignity and based on central principles such as freedom, justice and equality, which are authentic principles in the Islamic doctrine. Therefore, in the forum, we were keen that our work should be based on a human rights approach based on international human rights standards, and we sought to obtain consultative membership with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, where we have held this capacity since 2010.

As for implementing the various international human rights initiatives, we do so in harmony with the Kingdom's constitution, which, although it recognizes the transcendence of international conventions, restricts this eminence by not violating these covenants to the Islamic religion. The preamble to the constitution states the following: “Make international agreements, as ratified by Morocco, within the scope of the provisions of the constitution, the laws of the Kingdom, and its well-established national identity, transcend, immediately upon publication, over national legislation, and work to adapt these legislation, with the requirements of such ratification.”

Accordingly, within the framework of our human rights work, we are keen to ensure that our initiatives are consistent with the international human rights system, but with respect for the specificities and identity of our country, which makes these human rights initiatives characterized by being human rights and authentic at the same time.

 

What are the human rights conventions that Islamic feminist associations have reservations on?

Aziza Bakkali: The international community has approved many international treaties for the protection of women’s rights, perhaps the most important of which is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as well as the Optional Protocol to it as a specialized and comprehensive convention for various rights.

Proceeding from our firm belief that Islam was the first to raise the status of women, to emphasize their fair rights and to establish their rights as a human being, through a set of legal texts that embodied gender equality in its true meaning. All of the rights contained in these agreements are inherent in our religion and Sharia, such as the right to education, health, work, and the rejection of discrimination and exploitation. However, some issues in these charters are not subject to agreement between all countries, which makes the countries, even if they are bound to the agreement, they reserve the right not to implement them by providing data Explanatory, as is the case in Morocco, given the different religious, social and cultural backgrounds prevailing in each society. Here we can stop at some topics such as inheritance, as well as some sexual rights, especially with regard to comprehensive sexual education, sexual identity, and freedom of disposal of the body.

 

What is your assessment of women's participation in the human rights and political fields?

Aziza Bakkali: Moroccan women have made an important path in the field of active participation in the public sphere in all fields, including the field of human rights and political work. The struggles of the women’s movement in general and the active involvement of our country in developing the legislative arsenal to consecrate just equality between women and men have culminated in the adoption of an advanced human rights constitution. In 2011, it was followed by a slow effort to adapt the various national laws with its requirements. However, the worrying paradox is the vast gap that still persists between the reality of human rights and political empowerment of women and what was established by the approved legal system, which requires more struggle and intensified efforts in order to achieve Effective rights and access to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women

 

Woman Public Responsibilities 

 

Do women's political and militant responsibilities constitute an obstacle to fulfilling their family obligations?

Aziza Bakkali: The participation of women in the public sphere and their assumption of responsibilities in career work, political and associative work, is consistent in our view with the duty of women as her male brother. However, the reality of women’s conditions is harsh, especially with the many duties and responsibilities she holds in a society that is still governed by the traditional view of women’s roles. Society still considers women as the only ones responsible for the family. In my opinion, partnership in contributing to the public space presupposes a kind of partnership in the man engagement in private space so that the roles of women and men alike are upright, in public space and inside the house. This strongly suggests reconsidering this partnership and enacting practical measures to achieve a balance between the woman’s professional life and societal responsibilities on the one hand, and private and family life on the other. This can only be achieved if the man is proactively engaged in sharing the family and “house” duties with the woman. 

 

Are you struggling in the Azzahrae Forum for the rights of women as independent individuals or as part of a family?

Aziza Bakkali: Azzahrae Forum for Moroccan Women seeks to work according to a balanced approach concerned with the protection and advancement of the rights of women and the family, and therefore considers the woman and her rights as an independent entity in her capacity as a human being. It will advance the rights of the family and its components and the status of women within it, whether she is a daughter, wife, or mother.

 

Does the patriarchal mentality hinder the activity and initiatives of women's associations?

Aziza Bakkali: Despite the efforts of modernization and reform in our country, and the development that the society’s culture has known in its relationship to the perception of women and their roles, we, as women’s associations, and in some issues such as violence against women or women’s financial rights and others, are constantly shocked by the existence of cultural resistance fueled by a deeply rooted patriarchal mentality. Unfortunately, this mindset uses sometimes the religious cover to gain legitimacy, which hinders the advancement of the status of women and gives them their dignity and human value and perpetuates the continuation of forms of injustice and exploitation and thus delays the development and real progress of society.

 

How to Deal with Conflicting Ideologies

 

What is the nature of your work with associations and organizations adopting conflicting ideological and intellectual premises?

Aziza Bakkali: Out of our awareness of the importance of pluralism and diversity as a source of wealth for society, and in light of our respect for the right to be different, we strive as much as possible to open up to all the different components. In order to unify the efforts of the struggle for the democratization of our country and the advancement of the conditions of female and male citizens alike. We look forward to finding common grounds through which we can serve the burning issues and priority of Moroccan women. Unfortunately, this ambition is still dream-like despite the existence of good relations with many parties, we still face the severity of the polarization about many topics and issues in Moroccan society, including issues related to the status of women.