Princess Lalla Meriem surveys Morocco's efforts to improve women's conditions

Morocco's Princess Lalla Meriem surveyed this Wednesday at an international conference on "Consolidation of the role of women in Islamic and non-Islamic countries" held in Brussels Morocco's efforts to promote women's conditions.

The princess stated that spurred by the will of King Mohammed VI who placed the promotion of women conditions at the core of his democratic modernist project, Morocco "is painstakingly and resolvedly endeavoring to strengthen, extend and promote the role of women in our society."

Princess lalla Meriem stressed that in these endeavors, Morocco "draws on the universal values of human rights and on the noble precepts of Islam, which honored women and recognized their right to be treated equitably, fairly and in dignity." She further cited the rise in the women's representation in the parliament to more than 10 percent, and the revision of the Personal Status Code, or the family law, in such a way to best secure equality and justice and the basic rights of women and children.

Furthermore, she went on, "Morocco increased its efforts to give girls better access to education, so that they benefit as much as possible from training programs that will give them access to executive positions in administrations and public institutions on an equal footing as men."

The princess who chairs National Observatory of Children Rights also underscored how Morocco has devised a national strategy to combat violence against women, insisting on the need for the state, the civil society and all political and social actors to combine and continue their efforts.

The princess further recalled before participants in the international the hard international juncture and called for pursuing "a peaceful and humanist way out to the impending tragedies." She further recalled the plight of Palestinian women, their children and their families, as a result of aggressions, devastating occupation and blatant violations of their legitimate rights to freedom, safety and dignity.

"We also keep in mind the sufferings endured by the Iraqi women and their children, as a result of the sanctions that even affects access to medicine," the princess deplored warning that women and children would be the first victims of war.