Gender and The Law in Morocco and Canada, Comparative Perspectives

The Research Group “Identity and Difference” and The Center for Feminist Research at York University, Canada

organize
An international Confernce on "Gender and The Law in Morocco and Canada, Comparative Perspectives", 19-20 May 2017

Nidae Essalam Auditorium Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Oujda

Research based on the concept of gender and the analyzes that this allows us to undertake have the ultimate objective of putting research at the service of a better knowledge of our societies and their modes of functioning. The research produced by gender studies are an eminently original contribution to the renewal of humanities and social sciences. Thus, one of the most effective ways of generating knowledge in this field is to pay particular attention to the situation of women, the inequalities they face and the solutions that can be envisioned.

In this perspective, the conference on "Gender and the law" aspires to initiate reflection and debate on Moroccan law through gender studies. The idea of making the concept of gender an instrument of analysis of the legal systems that directly concern women is explained by the lack or at least the scarcity of research on the legal material both in its technicality and in its decision-making processes. Indeed, to examine the law from the perspective of gender will allows us to understand the mechanisms of production and perpetuation of inequalities, and the exercise of domination. In a word, it will enable us to better account for the processes that are at the very heart of the of the humanities and social sciences. Thus, for example, the interpretation and construction of judgments are often conceived as reasoning based on the apparent neutrality of the law. However, subjected to gender critique, they turn out to be impregnated with profoundly gendered worldviews. This includes, among others, sexual harassment and sexual violence, voluntary termination of pregnancy, the specific vulnerability of women in the case of domestic violence, parental authority, labor law, retirement, etc. The processes of constructing legal systems are made to reveal the ambiguities of the law which, on the one hand promises to implement legal egalitarianism while at the same time creates areas of uncertainty which in fact point to the ambivalences of those who produced it, thus allowing gender stereotypes to persist both in the enunciation of legal text as well as in its subsequent appropriations.

Ultimately, gender critique of the law (in its processes of construction and appropriation, and the way in which it is claimed by women who, in addition to being the recipients, aspire to making it a means of achieving equality) allows us to decipher the mechanisms by which society categorizes, classifies and disciplines individuals. The same approach also testifies to women's ability to employ gender studies as a powerful instrument to claim an alternative and fairer conception of the law.

The "Law and Gender" Conference is part of a joint project between The Research Group “Identity and Difference” at Mohammed I University and the Center for Feminist Research (CFR) ay York University. The objective is to produce policy-relevant knowledge and proposes culturally sensitive judicial education strategies centered on the Family Code and The legal rights of women. The objectives of the project are to: Investigate the processes and decisions of Moroccan courts in family law cases; Promote research on the applicability of different pedagogical approaches to Moroccan judicial education; And facilitate collaboration between Canadian and Moroccan experts to share their expertise in judicial education.

The conference will be an opportunity for experts in the field of law and gender studies to examine issues related to judicial decision-making in Morocco and Canada and to assess the impact of family law reform.