Moroccan cartoonist and women's rights activist, Zainab Fasiki, writes a book on #MeToo
- 31 Mar 2021
Young Zainab Fasiki from Morocco mixes art with a homegrown illustrated #MeToo campaign.
A dozen students and professionals have joined forces with Fasiki, a pioneer in comics and illustration in Morocco, in response to a web series titled #TaAnaMeToo that depicts women's real-life ordeals.
"We are here to change this rape culture, which says the victim deserves what they get while the criminal is innocent," says Fasiki, 26, her eyes flashing with indignation.
As part of the series -- "Ta ana" means "Me Too" in Moroccan Arabic dialect -- she illustrated the harrowing testimony of a 22-year-old woman who for years was raped by her brother, to the indifference of her parents.
Unlike in the broader #MeToo movement, the Moroccan women who have agreed to share their stories for the campaign have preferred to remain anonymous.
Series producer Youssef Ziraoui says rape victims in Morocco not only have to deal with a sense of "shame" and the risk of being cast out by their families, but can face charges for sex before marriage under Moroccan law if they go to the police.
The participants in the Casablanca workshop are looking for creative comebacks to some of the toxic reactions the campaign has elicited.
"Choose a negative comment and respond to it," Fasiki says, as the group gets to work on tablets or with paper and pencil.
Fasiki, who calls herself an "artivist" (an artist and activist), says art is "a major instrument of change".
"Images have power, particularly on social media."
Agence Frace-Presse
