Moroccan women demand amendment of family code on March 8
Moroccan women describe the International Women’s Day, March 8, as “A day of struggle with enthusiasm to immortalize women’s struggle for rights.”
HANAN HARITE
Morocco- Moroccan women struggle to end gender-based violence and effective implementation of laws guaranteeing their rights. For 20 years, they have been struggling for the amendment of the family code, also known as the “Moudawana” and the increase in women’s political participation. “Despite achieving many gains,” Moroccan women said, “There is still a long way to go.”
‘Morocco should ratify ILO Convention 190’
Women struggle not only on March 8 but also 365 days, said union activist Saeeda Waed. “We continue to demand our rights. The Moroccan government should ratify the ILO's Convention 190 protecting workers from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment. The ILO Convention 190 has a number of provisions aiming to eliminate gender-based violence at work. Trade unions and human rights organizations made great efforts to combat all forms of violence at work.”
‘Women demand a new law’
Moroccan women hold workshops, meetings and seminars for the amendments of Morocco’s Law 103-13 on combating violence against women, human rights activist Bushra Abdo told NuJINHA. “Women demand a news law that will give women the status they deserve. Law 103-13 is a very old law; it is insufficient to combat violence against women. It should be amended. Moroccan citizenship law should be also amended because it violates the rights of women who marry foreign men.”
‘It is an important day for women to raise their voices’
Human rights activist Najat Al-Razi believes that women have achieved many gains thanks to the struggle of women’s movements across the world. She describes the International Women’s Day, March 8, as “A day of struggle with enthusiasm to immortalize women’s struggle for rights”. “Because thousands of women garment workers in New York took to the streets against wage discrimination and protested their working conditions on that day. It is a day to remember the women struggling for their rights. It is an important day for women to raise their voices against gender-based violence and discriminatory laws.”