Critics say Morocco’s new laws protecting women are inadequate

Late last month, a teen- age girl in Morocco told local media she had been violently kidnapped, raped and branded by a gang. The incident was covered around the world and has sparked growing concerns about violence against women in Morocco.

Now the Moroccan government is hailing an antiviolence-against-women law that took effect this week after five years of efforts to get it passed. The law offers a range of protections for women who report harassment or violence in Morocco, bans forced marriage, and mandates fines and even short prison sentences for people convicted of sexual harassment in a public space. It is the first time that women in Morocco will have legal pathways to seek justice from such behavior. that some parts of the text

Bassima Hakkaoui, the are too ambiguous. She told country’s minister for womJeune Afrique that “rape is en’s issues, told the offistill considered a violation of cial Maghreb Arabe Presse (a woman’s) modesty, even news agency that it is “one though international law of the most important texts defines it as a violation of strengthening the national women’s physical integrity.” legal arsenal in the area of “Clearly, it contains cerequality of the sexes.” tain positive things,” Skalli

But critics say the long- said of the legislation. “But sought-after law still falls it is surely not a revolution.” short of giving women the Violence against women protections they need. “The is widespread in Morocco. law that was adopted yester- A 2009 government survey day disappointed us enor- that asked women between mously,” said Nouzha Skalli, the ages of 18 to 65 if they the former minister for womhad been victims of various en’s affairs, to Jeune Afrique forms of violence, ranging magazine after the bill passed from physical to psychoin February. “It only modilogical. Nearly 63 percent fied some articles of the penal said yes. code and can’t be considered But Morocco has historilike a great breakthrough in cally lacked legal avenues for the struggle against violence women to pursue justice over against women.” such abuse. Even now, advo

Skalli has raised concates fear that the new law cerns that the legislation will not, in practice, make does not specifically crimijustice much more accessinalize marital rape and said ble for victims.