Women associations grouped in equality spring unveil proposals for personal law amendment

A group of nine women associations, grouped in "the equality spring" unveiled in Casablanca on Monday at a press conference personal law reforms.

Introducing the memo, a member of the group surveyed the stages covered in the process since King Mohammed VI received last March a group of leading women figures and set up in April an advisory commission in charge of reforming the personal law. She added that from the outset, the group has opted for collaboration with the commission.

Proposals contained in the memo are based on the principle of gender equality in rights, duties and responsibilities, considered as the central axis that should underlie all of the personal law provisions.

The group deems that marriage age should be set at 18 years for both men and women and that both men and women should have the right to chose their spouse.

Husband and wife are both responsible for caring for family needs and for children education and tutorship. Other proposals also want divorce to be conducted by a judge in the presence of the two spouses and that properties and other assets acquired during marriage should be equally divided in case of divorce, and consider that housework should be considered as a contribution to these properties and assets.

The group also requests the unification of custody conditions after divorce and to allow both men and women to get re-married and retain the children custody.