The survey carried out by the Anna Lindh Foundation on intercultural trends brings out an important conclusion, in particular for the axis relating to gender stereotypes.

It is about the changing perceptions of the roles of women in society.

This development can be explained first by:

The political will of governments through the adoption of laws and the conduct of actions to combat discrimination against women;

It is also explained by the dynamics of society and the voice of women, as well as their ability to organize and develop negotiation strategies.

However, two points deserve to be underlined:

The first concerns the large percentage of respondents among citizens, both from the North as well as those from the South and East of the Mediterranean, who expressed a favorable opinion for a more increased role of women in certain fields, such as: the sciences and technology, economics and political decision-making. This proves the acceptance of women's access to "non-traditional" roles and shows that lines are moving and mindsets are changing;

The second point concerns the nature of certain areas, such as the media and sports, which are generally associated with visibility, influence and relationship to the female body, for which respondents, particularly from the south and east of the Mediterranean, like Morocco, Mauritania and Lebanon, have expressed a favorable opinion for a greater role for women.

The importance of this point refers to a cultural cliché which attributes to Islam, the dominated religion in these countries, the desire to definitively freeze women in the status of cloistered, with arduous control over their bodies. to note that these stereotypes do not resist in front of the evolution of the perceptions.

Moreover, if the discrimination against women, which is deeply rooted, is universal in scope, so does the aspiration for equality and freedom. And, in this area, we recall that there is no one model to follow ... there is rather a diversity of experiences that deserve to be known and recognized. This makes it possible to underline that the fight against gender stereotypes can constitute a lever in the fight against cultural stereotypes… and at the same time, consolidate the dialogue between the countries of the two shores of the Mediterranean.