Another round of classes took place today, with a primary focus on religion, politics, and gender dynamics. As a result, I had the opportunity to learn more about the history of household dynamics and make a connection with how my host family navigates daily life compared to historic Moroccan families.

The father, like many other Moroccan men, is the breadwinner in my host family, spending most of his time outside of the home. The same can be said for the eldest children, who spend the day working at shops throughout the Medina. As a result, my host mother has a clear role as manager of the household. Always keeping busy, she can be found cooking and organizing within the home, as well as sending the younger children on errands. This type of structure feels similar to those in history, where Moroccan women have typically been known as the host of the house, and the Moroccan men served as the providers for the family.

While these customs are still maintained in many isolated places in Morocco, the overall image of a family politically has been adjusted, making it more socially acceptable for a family to go against these common values structurally. Additionally, women now have similar rights to men in specific fields, such as divorce, property, and custody.

As for religion, I have not had much interaction so far during my time in Morocco. While I toured the Hassan II Mosque on our first day, my only other instances of witnessing religious acts have been hearing the five prayer calls throughout the days and passing by various mosques throughout the medina.

Out of the three focuses today, I’d definitely consider what I saw on gender dynamics the most impactful. Prior to my arrival, I assumed Moroccan women as a whole lacked influence in daily life, but I have learned the reality is quite the opposite. Both men and women in Morocco possess a different orientation of power, with the men controlling outside the household while the women control inside the household.

To wrap up the evening, I played 5v5 beach soccer with a combination of Plus3 students and locals. With the World Cup happening in the United States this summer and Morocco being one of the co-hosts in four years, the sport is something we all have in common.