Abstract

Basma Wajih*, Marta Fernández Morales, Hans Peter van Den Broek

In Morocco, women face significant barriers to leadership roles due to entrenched gender norms and cultural expectations. However, social media and increased media visibility offer new opportunities to challenge these norms and promote women's leadership. This study evaluates the impact of media visibility on women's leadership advancement in Morocco, exploring how female leaders use social media to overcome traditional obstacles and alter gender norms. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews, the research investigates the challenges women leaders encounter and the importance of visibility in exerting influence online. Findings reveal that media visibility is crucial in challenging gender stereotypes, providing women with a platform to showcase their leadership abilities and inspiring others to pursue leadership roles. The study identifies key factors that contribute to the effectiveness of media visibility strategies, such as authenticity, engagement with diverse audiences and alignment with broader social change movements. However, it also highlights challenges like online harassment, cultural pushback and the need for organizational support to leverage media visibility for women's leadership promotion fully.