Morocco…Calls to Reform Family Laws to Ensure Justics and Protect Women from Violence.
The Democratic Association of Moroccan Women urged the government to enhance women's protection, economic participation, and update marriage laws to combat poverty.
Morocco_Women in Morocco face multiple challenges related to economic empowerment,fair access to justice,and guaranteening their rights within the family and the labor market,amid escalating demands to promote equality and protect women from all forms of discrimination and violence.
On Thursday, February 26, the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women sent an open letter to the Head of Government, calling on the state to improve the protection of women and enhance their economic and social participation. The association pointed out that current family laws in Morocco, including those governing marriage, divorce, and inheritance, require comprehensive reform to ensure women's rights and protect them from poverty and vulnerability. It noted that only 19% of women participate in the labor market, reflecting a clear economic gender gap.
Official data also shows that 58% of women are subjected to various forms of violence, whether within the family or in public spaces, which limits their effective benefit from social protection programs.
In their letter, the association demanded the strengthening of women's rights through several measures, including: accelerating the reform of family laws to ensure economic and social justice within the family; recognizing domestic work as part of the national economy and supporting it legally and socially; evaluating women's empowerment programs and developing an urgent plan to increase their economic participation rate; publishing periodic gender-disaggregated data on women's benefit from social protection programs; investing in proximity services such as childcare centers, opening elderly care facilities, and supporting children with disabilities; and including periods of social caregiving in pension calculations and health coverage for all women, including those without formal employment.
The association emphasized that social protection for Moroccan women must not remain a mere slogan, but should be transformed into tangible reforms that enhance justice and the economic and social dignity of women.