I’m so sorry this happened to you. Unfortunately, this brings back a memory of a trauma I had from a similar experience almost 20 years ago in Morocco as well and have said I’d never go back. I was traveling there mainly for leisure but also as a woman business owner. For several years, way back when, I was traveling to and importing textiles/art from mainly South and Central America and decided to add some Moroccan items to my collection. Long story short, I was ignored, harassed and basically made to feel invisible in the majority of my dealings with men in the medinas in Fez & Marrakesh. My bf at the time (now my husband) fortunately was with me because the aggression was palpable simply because I was a female trying to conduct business.
Anyway, I have traveled to many places of all cultures and religions all over the world and have never been treated so horribly for being a woman. We told ourselves it was because it was during Ramadan (and perhaps they were cranky) and perhaps because of all the many package tourist buses arriving continuously at these places. Obviously it was (is) a much deeper problem and situation and still is. It’s one that I hoped had only improved in almost 20 years since. Makes me sad, angry and just incredulous but I also know this isn’t everyone in Morocco because we had a mostly wonderful time once we left the cities and traveled in the mountains and desert.
So much more I could add but just don’t have the eloquence to write it all right now!
I appreciate your post and am glad you weren’t hurt more than you were.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. Although you don’t want to hurt a female owned business, if you have video of the person who did this or anything specific about him and post it on YouTube, you will honestly be do others a favor.
There was a young lady who had an encounter with a taxi driver and she was irritated that he was rude. It was just a small part of her YT video, but it seems just about everyone in Morocco saw it. They were upset due to the things he was saying to the other taxi drivers (she didn’t understand). The police subsequently took away his taxi license.
They take the treatment of tourists very seriously—they still need to do some work when it comes to local women. These are problems that happen everywhere, but Morocco does want tourists to feel safe.
I haven’t been able to return since Covid, but I know there have been some struggles. I hope that in the future, you will feel okay to return there.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. Unfortunately, this brings back a memory of a trauma I had from a similar experience almost 20 years ago in Morocco as well and have said I’d never go back. I was traveling there mainly for leisure but also as a woman business owner. For several years, way back when, I was traveling to and importing textiles/art from mainly South and Central America and decided to add some Moroccan items to my collection. Long story short, I was ignored, harassed and basically made to feel invisible in the majority of my dealings with men in the medinas in Fez & Marrakesh. My bf at the time (now my husband) fortunately was with me because the aggression was palpable simply because I was a female trying to conduct business.
Anyway, I have traveled to many places of all cultures and religions all over the world and have never been treated so horribly for being a woman. We told ourselves it was because it was during Ramadan (and perhaps they were cranky) and perhaps because of all the many package tourist buses arriving continuously at these places. Obviously it was (is) a much deeper problem and situation and still is. It’s one that I hoped had only improved in almost 20 years since. Makes me sad, angry and just incredulous but I also know this isn’t everyone in Morocco because we had a mostly wonderful time once we left the cities and traveled in the mountains and desert.
So much more I could add but just don’t have the eloquence to write it all right now!
I appreciate your post and am glad you weren’t hurt more than you were.
Hello Jessica,
I’m so sorry this happened to you. Although you don’t want to hurt a female owned business, if you have video of the person who did this or anything specific about him and post it on YouTube, you will honestly be do others a favor.
There was a young lady who had an encounter with a taxi driver and she was irritated that he was rude. It was just a small part of her YT video, but it seems just about everyone in Morocco saw it. They were upset due to the things he was saying to the other taxi drivers (she didn’t understand). The police subsequently took away his taxi license.
They take the treatment of tourists very seriously—they still need to do some work when it comes to local women. These are problems that happen everywhere, but Morocco does want tourists to feel safe.
I haven’t been able to return since Covid, but I know there have been some struggles. I hope that in the future, you will feel okay to return there.