March Moto Madness rally will bring together male and female bikers from all over the world to celebrate women’s rights in Marrakech this spring. Marrakech has become known for it’s independent spirit and culture of female emancipation with a long history of women riding scooters since the 1960’s. While the women riders enjoy driving through Morocco’s cities, they prefer riding in the back country even more. ” While villages are more conservative than the Imperial Cities it helps advance the cause of gender equality, ” claims Ilham Filali, a pharmacist and club member. “Watching these women on screen gave me the courage to get a motorbike. I think my mum would have loved to do something similar when she was my age, but back then it wasn’t possible.”
Since 1993, when Morocco ratified an international agreement on gender equality, it began seeing positive changes in it’s female representation. In parliament, female representation increased from 1% ( 2003) to 21% ( 2016). Morocco’s 2004 Family Code was called one of the most progressive laws protecting women’s rights in the Arab world.