Moroccan women join world march against poverty and discrimination

Moroccan women will march on March 12 to claim social justice and the reduction of poverty, says Morocco's organizing committee of the world women's march held from March 8 through October 17.

The slogan chosen for the world march is "2000 reasons to march" while the Moroccan event picked, "We are sharing the land, let's share its goods." The march seeks to be a plea against poverty, violence, and discrimination and promote public awareness for a more equitable distribution of wealth internationally and nationally and for gender equality.

Over 60 women, education, human rights, youth and communication associations, in addition to women's sections of trade unions and centers of assistance to women victim of violence will be taking part in the march.

Since inception in January 1999, the Moroccan committee has held several meetings to prepare for the event.

The committee deplores that Morocco's 125th rank at the UNICEF world ranking is due to the precarious social and economic condition of women as 67% of women are illiterate, 90% of women in rural areas do not know how to read and write and a woman dies in delivery every six hours.

Women are also facing various forms of sexual, psychological and legal violence. Statistics show that 28,000 cases of physical violence against women were reported to the authorities between 1994 and 1998.

A survey by a Moroccan association showed that 32.4% of lawsuits at the court of appeal of Rabat and Kenitra in 1995 deal with rape.

Women are also underrepresented in politics (0.33%).

In addition to their own grievances, Moroccan women will support other women in other regions of the world suffering from violence, poverty and exclusion. They will also speak out for the cancellation of poorest countries' debts, the rejection of the World Bank-supported structural adjustment programs, more democracy in UN programs and structures to guarantee gender equality.

A women's sit-in is also scheduled on October 15 in Washington, in front of the International Monetary Fund head office and in New York, at the United Nations Organization headquarters.