Women associations put forward claims to promote Moroccan women

The national coordination commission of women associations published a memorandum on Saturday (women's international day) in which it puts forward claims to promote women's situation.

The memo called for the creation of a senior women council and a governmental structure to follow-up issues related to women, the ratification of the protocol annexed to the convention on fighting all kinds of discrimination against women and adapting national legislation to international conventions.

The commission also requests the amendment of the nationality code in such a way to guarantee that children born to women married to foreigners obtain the Moroccan citizenship. It also called for reviewing the penal code to better protect women against violence and to guarantee gender equality.

Other grievances include reviewing the personal statute code (moudawana) to enhance equality in rights and duties between husbands and wives, placing households under the couple's joint responsibility and setting minimum marriage age of girls at 18 years. The women associations further want divorced women to be entitled to half of properties accumulated during marriage. As regards labor rights, the commission recommended amending the labor code and reserving to women a minimum quota of 30% of executive positions.