Violence against women in Morocco probed in symposium in cairo
Morocco, Culture, 5/16/2003

Members of Moroccan women associations discussed in Cairo violence against women and the efforts made by the Moroccan government and the civil society to fight the problem.

The issue was raised at a symposium themed "violence against women: aspects and impacts" organized on May 12-13.

Members of Moroccan women associations, Nabila Safadi, Fatima Khmissi, and Habiba Laithi, broadly discussed at the symposium types of violence against women in Morocco, and obstacles hampering women from taking part in development efforts and from guaranteeing equal rights and obligations with men.

Women in Morocco suffer different types of violence, physical, sexual, psychological, and family violence (from the husband), said Safadi stressing that women associations and civil society organizations make significant efforts to fight the phenomenon.

Several laws, including the personal status code are still a stumbling block to the democratization of relations between men and women despite Morocco's commitment to reinforce the rule of law and respect of human rights, she went on.

It is true that the Moroccan constitution consecrates the principle of equality between sexes, but women are still treated as minors by the personal status code, deplored Khmissi and Laithi.

Nevertheless, Moroccan associations and women movements managed to raise the awareness of the society as to the dangers of violence against women, and shatter the "taboo" of silence that surrounds the phenomenon.

Besides, a national campaign of fighting violence against women was organized in 1998 and another one in 2001 entitled "spring of equality," stressed Moroccan women association members.

The symposium was held by the Arab women's league, the Arab human rights' organization and other regional and international organizations from many Arab states, including Morocco.

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