WOMEN'S SAFETY
Morocco: Beautiful Landscapes, Safe for Women Travellers?
If you tell loved ones you’re visiting Morocco traveling as a single woman in Morocco, even on a Morocco yoga retreat, their initial reaction may be of concern. Why? Their opinion of Morocco being unsafe for women is a form of generalization of Arab countries stemming from western media. But this is really not the case. We are going to explain why!
Morocco’s Evolution
What is it like to be a woman in morocco? In order to look for evidence of the evolution of Morocco, where better to find it than with the King of the country, Mohammed VI? In days gone by, polygamous relationships were common in the royal family. However, Mohammed VI met Salma Bannani in 1999 and this changed everything. Not only did he promise a monogamous relationship with her, he promised to wait while she completed college…and he did.
In the years since their marriage, King Mohammed VI has broken several more traditions as he brought his wife into the public eye, something that hadn’t been done before. The King saw a need for change and his leadership has led to a transformation across wider society.
What is it like to be a woman in morocco? In order to look for evidence of the evolution of Morocco, where better to find it than with the King of the country, Mohammed VI? In days gone by, polygamous relationships were common in the royal family. However, Mohammed VI met Salma Bannani in 1999 and this changed everything. Not only did he promise a monogamous relationship with her, he promised to wait while she completed college…and he did.
In the years since their marriage, King Mohammed VI has broken several more traditions as he brought his wife into the public eye, something that hadn’t been done before. The King saw a need for change and his leadership has led to a transformation across wider society.
Gender Equality
Although there’s still a long way to go, the equality gap in Morocco is definitely closing and this is partly thanks to protests and women’s rights movements. In 2011, there were constitutional reforms and many of the proposals focused on the economic and political participation of women. In the years ahead, international bodies hope this progress continues.
Modernization
Traditions are being broken right across the country, and this is bringing Morocco in line with the rest of the world. For example, female boxing is a sport in the spotlight. With the likes of Yassmine Mountaki and Hasna Lachker leading the charge, Morocco is about to have a new generation of inspired young women.
Elsewhere, members of many surfing clubs are changing their attitudes. Traditionally men-only clubs, more and more women are now getting into the water. For popular surfer, Rim Bechar, she says the days of being accompanied to the beach are over.
With all this in mind, Morocco’s evolution is well under way and continues to progress each year.
Although there’s still a long way to go, the equality gap in Morocco is definitely closing and this is partly thanks to protests and women’s rights movements. In 2011, there were constitutional reforms and many of the proposals focused on the economic and political participation of women. In the years ahead, international bodies hope this progress continues.
Modernization
Traditions are being broken right across the country, and this is bringing Morocco in line with the rest of the world. For example, female boxing is a sport in the spotlight. With the likes of Yassmine Mountaki and Hasna Lachker leading the charge, Morocco is about to have a new generation of inspired young women.
Elsewhere, members of many surfing clubs are changing their attitudes. Traditionally men-only clubs, more and more women are now getting into the water. For popular surfer, Rim Bechar, she says the days of being accompanied to the beach are over.
With all this in mind, Morocco’s evolution is well under way and continues to progress each year.
Is Morocco Safe for Women?
Back to the topic at hand as a traveller, you might hear stories of Morocco and how their culture is different for women. Does this mean you should be concerned as an outsider?
For us, perhaps the best way we can answer this is by telling you of our own experience in the country. To date, we’ve never had an issue with any of our visitors. As mentioned, many solo female travellers have been on our Morocco yoga retreats and none have experienced problems. Of course, you need to be aware of your surroundings and understand the local culture. However, as long as you do this, there’s no reason why you should feel unsafe while in the country.
While researching online, you’ll see lots of negative comments and maybe even your family members will provide warnings when you bring up the idea of visiting Morocco. Unfortunately, most of these concerns and stories have been fabricated by those who have never been to the country. If you’re willing to read REAL experiences and blogs from solo female travellers who have actually been to Morocco, you’ll see that visiting the country is just like visiting any other.
Back to the topic at hand as a traveller, you might hear stories of Morocco and how their culture is different for women. Does this mean you should be concerned as an outsider?
For us, perhaps the best way we can answer this is by telling you of our own experience in the country. To date, we’ve never had an issue with any of our visitors. As mentioned, many solo female travellers have been on our Morocco yoga retreats and none have experienced problems. Of course, you need to be aware of your surroundings and understand the local culture. However, as long as you do this, there’s no reason why you should feel unsafe while in the country.
While researching online, you’ll see lots of negative comments and maybe even your family members will provide warnings when you bring up the idea of visiting Morocco. Unfortunately, most of these concerns and stories have been fabricated by those who have never been to the country. If you’re willing to read REAL experiences and blogs from solo female travellers who have actually been to Morocco, you’ll see that visiting the country is just like visiting any other.
Our Advice for Solo Female Travellers
Wherever you choose to go in the world for solo female travel, you will need to take certain precautions, and this is also true on a Morocco yoga retreat. Again, our brilliant staff members will be willing to help in this regard since they know the local area much better than most. Yet, it doesn’t hurt to consider some general safety tips that you can apply to your solo trip; from London to Paris.
Appreciate the Clothing Etiquette
What to wear in Morocco? With Islam as the leading religion in Morocco, women dressing modestly is a belief held by most of the population. Even if you don’t agree with this view, you need to appreciate that you’re outnumbered in this new culture and environment and most importantly you are a guest to the country. While you aren’t expected to adhere to every single tradition of the religion, you will be showing respect by following the locals and covering most of your body.
Listen to the Advice of Experts
If you speak with the people at our yoga retreat, or in your hotel or any other accommodation, be sure to listen to their advice. As we mentioned previously, these people understand the area and they know the best ways to remain safe.
Wherever you choose to go in the world for solo female travel, you will need to take certain precautions, and this is also true on a Morocco yoga retreat. Again, our brilliant staff members will be willing to help in this regard since they know the local area much better than most. Yet, it doesn’t hurt to consider some general safety tips that you can apply to your solo trip; from London to Paris.
Appreciate the Clothing Etiquette
What to wear in Morocco? With Islam as the leading religion in Morocco, women dressing modestly is a belief held by most of the population. Even if you don’t agree with this view, you need to appreciate that you’re outnumbered in this new culture and environment and most importantly you are a guest to the country. While you aren’t expected to adhere to every single tradition of the religion, you will be showing respect by following the locals and covering most of your body.
Listen to the Advice of Experts
If you speak with the people at our yoga retreat, or in your hotel or any other accommodation, be sure to listen to their advice. As we mentioned previously, these people understand the area and they know the best ways to remain safe.
Show Confidence
If people do have problems in Morocco, it’s normally something simple like unwanted comments. Though these are still rare if you follow the basic safety tips, you can keep the issue to a minimum with a calmness and confidence. By pretending you didn’t hear and walking away, you can simply get on with your day and forget about it.
Don’t snap back or make a comment because they may feel the need to follow this up with another negative comment. If somebody won’t leave you alone, it’s a similar situation to home. If you’re firm and offer a simple ‘no, merci’, they should leave you alone without a problem.
Be Smart
On our Morocco yoga retreat, another piece of advice we offer is to be smart with your decisions. When at night, make sure you have a clear route back to your accommodation. Don’t get yourself into a situation that makes you uneasy; with taxis, always agree a price before travelling and the driver will respect the confidence.
Find Other Women
When using public transport in Morocco (and when abroad in general), sit next to women in grand taxis and other public transport options. Again, none of our solo travellers have had a problem on public transport and this is why we’re happy to offer this little piece of heaven to everybody.
If people do have problems in Morocco, it’s normally something simple like unwanted comments. Though these are still rare if you follow the basic safety tips, you can keep the issue to a minimum with a calmness and confidence. By pretending you didn’t hear and walking away, you can simply get on with your day and forget about it.
Don’t snap back or make a comment because they may feel the need to follow this up with another negative comment. If somebody won’t leave you alone, it’s a similar situation to home. If you’re firm and offer a simple ‘no, merci’, they should leave you alone without a problem.
Be Smart
On our Morocco yoga retreat, another piece of advice we offer is to be smart with your decisions. When at night, make sure you have a clear route back to your accommodation. Don’t get yourself into a situation that makes you uneasy; with taxis, always agree a price before travelling and the driver will respect the confidence.
Find Other Women
When using public transport in Morocco (and when abroad in general), sit next to women in grand taxis and other public transport options. Again, none of our solo travellers have had a problem on public transport and this is why we’re happy to offer this little piece of heaven to everybody.
Other Tips
To be extra safe as a tourist, we recommend following the tips below;
• Don’t hitchhike
To be extra safe as a tourist, we recommend following the tips below;
• Don’t hitchhike
• Don’t smoke in public (while walking the streets)
• Only look Moroccan men in the eyes if you know them
• Tell sellers you have an appointment but that you’ll be back later
• Avoid entering a Moroccan man’s home, car, or going on a trip if you don’t know them
• Never criticize the beliefs of locals or get into religious debates with them
• Only look Moroccan men in the eyes if you know them
• Tell sellers you have an appointment but that you’ll be back later
• Avoid entering a Moroccan man’s home, car, or going on a trip if you don’t know them
• Never criticize the beliefs of locals or get into religious debates with them
Book Your Relaxing Retreat Today!
If a location simply wasn’t safe for solo female travellers, we wouldn’t offer a yoga retreat there so bear this in mind. As long as you follow the basic solo female travelling guidebook just as you do normally, you can enjoy this picturesque country and tick it off your bucket list. Meanwhile, the yoga will keep you relaxed and work (and all other responsibilities) will seem a very long way away!MARRAKECH YOGA RETREATS
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