Symbolic women court denounces violence against girls

Violence against girls was strongly denounced by the 5th women court held in Casablanca on Saturday by the Moroccan Women Action Union and the centers of assistance to women victims of violence.

Magistrates, delegates of several ministries and experts taking part in the mock hearing denounced the violence targeting girls as a violence against the Moroccan society and its future.

They cited several cases of violence against girls such as the case of a brothel where girls were held against their will, a case of girls kidnapping and other types of violence embodied by early marriage, illiteracy and material, moral and sexual exploitation of girls.

The participants also looked into other forms of violence such as incest, sexual harassment inside and outside schools.

A delegate of the department in charge of social protection, family and childhood recalled proposals made by the department to reduce manifestations of violence against girls, such as including the rights of housemaids in the labor code, tax incentives to persons who register housemaids with the social security body.

The court also heard findings of a study conducted by an association on the situation of girls working as housemaids. 74% of the maids are from rural areas, and 37.1% work more than 16 hours a day doing all kinds of housework, the study revealed.