| Summary/Abstract |
This article shows the different themes but also change of perspectives and approaches that Mernissi dealt with or underwent over the years. It examines the trajectory and impact of her arguments, especially from a critical standpoint. It sheds light on her religious approach and its bearing on Islamic and Moroccan feminisms. The latter approach does not explain the complexity of the link between women’s status and the socio-political context in a Muslim-majority country like Morocco, nor does it provide an answer to women’s problems and aspirations. Using the intersectionality theory, I claim that, to challenge patriarchy and foster gender equality and women’s empowerment, the alternative approach is to think beyond Islam, by arguing that Moroccan women’s roles are shaped by a variety of intersecting factors, namely post-colonial thinking, demographic change, nationalism, poverty, and the progressive shift to a modern society. Adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), first promulgated in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, and often described as an international bill of rights for women, is also part of this alternative human rights approach.
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