Women and power
Theme: Women and power
Women play an essential role in society, the economy and politics. Many countries have made progress towards gender equality (access to education, work and political positions), but challenges remain: discrimination, the gender pay gap, violence and under-representation in decision-making. In Morocco, the Constitution of 2011 promotes parity between men and women.
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| gender equality | equal rights and opportunities for men and women |
| empowerment | giving someone more power and confidence |
| discrimination | unfair treatment |
| gender pay gap | difference between men's and women's salaries |
| to run for office | to be a candidate in an election |
| decision-making | the process of making important decisions |
| breadwinner | the person who earns money for the family |
| parity | equality of number (e.g. in parliament) |
| stereotype | a fixed, often wrong, idea about a group |
Grammar: relative clauses
| Pronoun | Refers to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | The woman who won the election is a lawyer. |
| which | things | The law which was passed protects women. |
| that | people or things (defining clauses) | The book that I read is about equality. |
| whose | possession | She is the minister whose reforms changed the law. |
| where | places | This is the city where she was born. |
| when | time | 2011 is the year when the new constitution was adopted. |
Non-defining clauses (extra information) are between commas and never use that: Fatima, who is a doctor, works in Rabat.
Function: expressing opinion, agreeing and disagreeing
- Opinion: In my opinion… / I think / I believe… / As far as I'm concerned…
- Agreeing: I agree with you. / That's true. / Exactly!
- Disagreeing: I don't agree. / I'm afraid I disagree. / I see your point, but…
Writing: an opinion essay
Introduction with your opinion → 2–3 arguments with examples → counter-argument → conclusion restating your opinion.
Exercise 1 — Relative pronouns
Fill in with who, which, whose, where or when.
- The girl ________ father is a pilot wants to be an engineer.
- This is the association ________ helps rural women.
- Women ________ work outside the home need childcare.
- I remember the day ________ my mother started her business.
- Rabat is the city ________ the parliament is.
Voir le corrigé
- whose 2. which (or that) 3. who (or that) 4. when 5. where
Exercise 2 — Agreeing and disagreeing
Respond to this opinion: "Women should stay at home and take care of the children."
Voir le corrigé
I'm afraid I disagree. Women have the same right as men to study and work. Many women are successful doctors, engineers and ministers. Moreover, both parents can share household responsibilities.
Summary — Women and power
- Vocabulary: gender equality, empowerment, discrimination, gender pay gap, parity, stereotype, to run for office, decision-making.
- Relative pronouns: who (people), which (things), that (defining), whose (possession), where (place), when (time).
- Non-defining clauses: between commas, no that.
- Opinion: In my opinion, I believe… ; agree: I agree, exactly ; disagree: I'm afraid I disagree, I see your point but…