Moroccan official unveils plan against violence targeting women

Moroccan secretary of state in charge of social protection, family and children, Mohamed Said Saadi, announced that an action plan to control violence against women will be launched shortly.

In a press conference he gave in Rabat on Thursday, the official said the national week of struggle against violence targeting women held last Nov. 24 through Dec.1 was crowned with success and reached its major objective to break the wall of silence and bring about debates on a subject, that used to be taboo.

The projected action plan will assess the size of the phenomenon and collect data to identify the origins and effects of violence against women.

He added that the problem will be first addressed by reforming the penal code and making of sexual harassment a crime. The new law will also create a specialized judiciary police for women issues and a body of social assistance to women victim of violence.