The Use of Social Media by Rural Moroccan Women: Communication, Learning and Identity

The study of women’s use of social media is a dynamic field of research, whereas the impact of social media platforms has shown its strength during the last few decades. The purpose of this study is to investigate how women from rural villages in Morocco use social media and to what extent this can be a source of empowerment for them. To achieve this aim, two quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used; online participant observation and semi-structured interviews through audio calls. The online observation method entailed analyzing social media profiles and conducting online interviews with open-ended questions with seven women, all between 20 to 75 years and from Moroccan villages located in the region of Drâa-Tafilalet in Errachidia province. The results suggest that of the five platforms, WhatsApp is the most used platform among all women. Then YouTube comes in second place, followed by Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. I have found that social media allows the women in this study to communicate with their family members, learn new skills and gain knowledge, continue classes through WhatsApp, and express their Amazigh identity to broader audiences. This study's principal conclusion is that social media gives the rural Moroccan women in this study a new communication space and opens new doors for learning and expressing their identity as a community. It also contributes to creating new opportunities for their empowerment and development.