Global Women's Voices: Share Personal Stories

Fatima Zahra, Morocco

Submitted by: Kathleen Voss Woolrich

story told to me by a Moroccan feminist about a girl in Morocco

True story
Based on the email from an Orlando based Moroccan feminist


I went into the forest

A Dr named Mr Khalid

Put seaweed in my body

My uterus opened up and I began to bleed

Hurry Zahra run

The blood is coming through your jeans

I couldn't find the trees

I could see them

I took my small shovel out of the bag they gave me

I wiped the blood from my thighs

I laid down on the blanket

And I began to push

My best friend went back to get me something cold

We are only 16

This cannot happen

No

No

He is coming

He is a little boy

I want him

I don't him to die

I opened the earth

And I gave him back to the earth

Because I needed him to live

But no one will marry me if I have him

No one will talk to my family

I can't do this

I can't do this

Goodbye Abdel salam

I loved you and I wanted you

Goodbye my baby



The email from the Moroccan feminist

K. got sick and one day she found some blood in her panties. When she was
seen by a doctor, she was told that she was 5 months pregnant. That was a
big blow to her and to her friends. It seems that K. had some kind of a
sexual encounter with her boyfriend at the time. The hymen was still there
as there was no penetration. Since it was out of question to go on with the
pregnancy she tried to have an abortion. No doctor accepted to do such a
thing for her and she was referred through the grapevine to a midwife who is
known to help in such cases. This latter asked for a huge sum of money and
K. with the help of her friends came up with it. She was given a couple of
shots by the midwife and was sent home after she was told that in few hours
she was going to be in labor. That's exactly what happened and K. gave
birth to a dead baby boy that got buried somewhere in the forest.

Imagine what this girl had to undergo by herself trying to hide everything
from her parents and from everyone else in the society. Imagine the pain
and the risk she took.
You know, there is a proverb that states that "she who gives her ass away
deserves what happens to her!" That's how strict the rules are Morocco but
the funny thing (in a sad way of course) is that everyone tries to go
"around" them without PUBLICLY breaking them.

That's the story lala.

M.


poem written by Kathleen Voss Woolrich, single mother and activist for womens right in North Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria
kwoolr@aol.com

updated: 11/13/2005 5:51:00 PM