Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RESOMFEM (Reconstructing social memory through Moroccan women's writing: female prison literature between the 1970's and the 2010's)
Reporting period: 2024-10-01 to 2026-09-30
In the current context of a globalised world, where migration flows are constant, the Mediterranean region is strategic. The Southern and Northern shores of the Mediterranean are (and have been) constantly in contact. However, there is, in general, a lack of knowledge and understanding in Northern societies of democratic historical and political processes that take place in Southern societies.
If we look at Morocco, one of the strategic, associated partners for Europe, this lack of knowledge becomes even more evident. European societies carry long-lasting prejudices about this country, due to past colonial relations and orientalist perspectives. This colonial influence has particularly contaminated the consideration we have about Moroccan women, that have often been portrayed (in European art, in European literature, but also in the media, etc.) as passive objects rather than as active subjects.
However, women have been and are key actors in pushing for the democratization of Morocco. This has been particularly evident since the consolidation of feminist movements in Morocco in the 1980s, but also before, since the time of the nationalist struggle for independence. In spite of the flows between Morocco and Southern Europe, with the presence of migrant communities but also through international treaties of neighbourliness, flows and contacts regarding civil societies and women’s movements have been scarce.
These are the reasons behind the conceivement of the project RESOMFEM. RESOMFEM studies prison literature written by Moroccan about the Years of Lead in Morocco (c. 1965-1999), particularly during the decades of the 1970s and the 1980s, the majority of which were published after the year 2000. These texts, particularly those written by leftist activities that were persecuted by the Moroccan regime, are essential to trace the genealogy of Moroccan feminism and establish a connection between women’s political participation during the fight against colonialism, and the consolidation of a feminist movement in Morocco in the 1980s. Reading texts by women who experienced the repression and the events of those years allows us to have access to their own accounts, and break with our orientalist prejudices toward the “Moroccan woman”. Reading the texts written by women in a key transitional moment of Moroccan history is also a necessary step to, instead of talking about them, start a true dialogue with them.
If we look at Morocco, one of the strategic, associated partners for Europe, this lack of knowledge becomes even more evident. European societies carry long-lasting prejudices about this country, due to past colonial relations and orientalist perspectives. This colonial influence has particularly contaminated the consideration we have about Moroccan women, that have often been portrayed (in European art, in European literature, but also in the media, etc.) as passive objects rather than as active subjects.
However, women have been and are key actors in pushing for the democratization of Morocco. This has been particularly evident since the consolidation of feminist movements in Morocco in the 1980s, but also before, since the time of the nationalist struggle for independence. In spite of the flows between Morocco and Southern Europe, with the presence of migrant communities but also through international treaties of neighbourliness, flows and contacts regarding civil societies and women’s movements have been scarce.
These are the reasons behind the conceivement of the project RESOMFEM. RESOMFEM studies prison literature written by Moroccan about the Years of Lead in Morocco (c. 1965-1999), particularly during the decades of the 1970s and the 1980s, the majority of which were published after the year 2000. These texts, particularly those written by leftist activities that were persecuted by the Moroccan regime, are essential to trace the genealogy of Moroccan feminism and establish a connection between women’s political participation during the fight against colonialism, and the consolidation of a feminist movement in Morocco in the 1980s. Reading texts by women who experienced the repression and the events of those years allows us to have access to their own accounts, and break with our orientalist prejudices toward the “Moroccan woman”. Reading the texts written by women in a key transitional moment of Moroccan history is also a necessary step to, instead of talking about them, start a true dialogue with them.
During the development of the project RESOMFEM, all texts written by Moroccan women about their experience with prison during the Years of Lead were localised. A total of 18 published texts were found between testimonials, novels, poetry and letters, together with inedited material in the press. They cover the experience of leftist activists and their families as well as of family members of the military involved in the coup against the King Hassan II.
Then, a part of these texts was selected for analysis. The criteria of selection were that they had to be testimonials (weather poetic, narrative or epistolary) and that they should be written by leftist activists. Also, the selection included not only texts written by women who were imprisoned inside Moroccan prisons, but also by the women of the families of political prisoners. Although these women were outside of prison, they were also “imprisoned”, as their lives turned around and were completely conditioned by Moroccan prisons.
This selection criteria followed a feminist perspective, as these texts allow us to examine feminist memory and genealogies in Morocco. Also, the genre criteria were established because this kind of texts (testimonials) are more adequate to study issues related to memory: what do women tell us, and how, about this period of Moroccan history and the repression they suffered?
Academic bibliography related to prison literature, memory, women’s writing, and feminism in Morocco was studied. The reading of this bibliography provided the project RESOMFEM with important tools to define the parameters of analysis. The texts about prison by Moroccan women were read and analysed. The analysis was led by questions like: What elements are highlighted in the women’s accounts and which ones are left out? How does the prison work as a literary space? How does it structure the narrative? What feminist ideas are transmitted and articulated in these accounts?
Then, a part of these texts was selected for analysis. The criteria of selection were that they had to be testimonials (weather poetic, narrative or epistolary) and that they should be written by leftist activists. Also, the selection included not only texts written by women who were imprisoned inside Moroccan prisons, but also by the women of the families of political prisoners. Although these women were outside of prison, they were also “imprisoned”, as their lives turned around and were completely conditioned by Moroccan prisons.
This selection criteria followed a feminist perspective, as these texts allow us to examine feminist memory and genealogies in Morocco. Also, the genre criteria were established because this kind of texts (testimonials) are more adequate to study issues related to memory: what do women tell us, and how, about this period of Moroccan history and the repression they suffered?
Academic bibliography related to prison literature, memory, women’s writing, and feminism in Morocco was studied. The reading of this bibliography provided the project RESOMFEM with important tools to define the parameters of analysis. The texts about prison by Moroccan women were read and analysed. The analysis was led by questions like: What elements are highlighted in the women’s accounts and which ones are left out? How does the prison work as a literary space? How does it structure the narrative? What feminist ideas are transmitted and articulated in these accounts?
The project has contributed to a significant scientific impact, as it has dealt with an understudied phenomenon such as prison writings by women in Morocco that were doubly silenced both as prison writings and as women’s writings. Another significant impact of this project is that, for the first time, and thanks to the feminist perspective, it has studied writings by women who experienced the prison from the inside, together with writings by women who experienced it from the outside, expanding the notion of prison literature. This approach has allowed the project to gain a complete insight of the participation of women during the Years of Lead, the specific violence they suffered, and the resistance strategies put in place by them. Also, it has focused on the way they narrate these issues: that is, on what events they put the focus in their accounts (for instance, solidarity between political prisoners and regular inmates) and which events they leave aside (such as sexual violence and other more explicit physical violence).
One of the main outcomes of the project has been the localisation of inedited texts in the press, such as the special dossier on women and prison of the newspaper al-Ittihad al-Ishtiraki (1994) or the letters by Fatima Oukacha in the journal al-Badil (1982). Oukacha shared the cell with historic leftist activists and feminists like Saida Menebhi and Rabea Ftouh.
One of the main outcomes of the project has been the localisation of inedited texts in the press, such as the special dossier on women and prison of the newspaper al-Ittihad al-Ishtiraki (1994) or the letters by Fatima Oukacha in the journal al-Badil (1982). Oukacha shared the cell with historic leftist activists and feminists like Saida Menebhi and Rabea Ftouh.