women hope to overcome “legal injustice, discrimination and violence” with the reform of the Family Code

Feminist activists hope to obtain equality in inheritance, in guardianship of children and a total ban on marriage of minors.

An expected development. Women’s rights defenders in Morocco place their hopes in the new reform of the Family Code to overcome “injustices and discrimination” of the text, 20 years after its overhaul deemed progressive but insufficient. The kingdom adopted a family code in 2004 granting more rights to women, placing the family under the responsibility of both spouses or imposing restrictions on repudiation, marriages of minors and polygamy.

Among the current key demands are equality in inheritance, in guardianship of children (including in the event of divorce), as well as a total ban on the marriage of minors. The Islamists continue to block these calls by invoking rigorous interpretations of Islam, the state religion in Morocco.

“Overcoming failures”

Despite this resistance, the launch of consultations for the amendment of the Family Code (called “Moudawana”) represents an opportunity to rectify “legal injustice, discrimination and violence against women in the text or in its application”according to Samira Muheya, president of the Federation of Women’s Rights Leagues (FLDF).

The new reform was initiated by the king. Mohammed VI called, last year in a speech, to “overcome the failures and negative aspects revealed by the experience carried out in the field”. A committee, formed at the end of September and composed of the Minister of Justice and officials from judicial and religious institutions, is responsible for carrying out consultations and preparing a reform project within six months. At the end of November, the committee had received proposals from more than a thousand associations, but also from political parties and official institutions.