The Dounia Collective for the prohibition of Marriage of minor girls recommended Wednesday in Rabat to suppress articles 20, 21 and 22 of the Family Code, which allow the competent judge to authorize marriage before the legal age of 18.
In a memorandum of demands, the collective stressed the need to adopt a comprehensive national policy or strategy to eliminate the marriage of minors in Morocco and to suppress Articles 20, 21 and 22 of the Family Code, which allow the family judge in charge of marriage to authorize the marriage of boys and girls under the legal age.
The document was presented during a press conference on the occasion of the official launch of the international campaign “16 days of activism against gender-based violence.
It highlights the importance of the contribution of the State and its institutions in educating society on the dangers that may result from the marriage of minors.
The document also advocates for a new holistic approach that takes into account the social and economic aspects of families in various regions of Morocco, particularly in rural and landlocked areas and also among needy and poor families in urban areas.
On this occasion, Raji Lhoucine, president of the Ennakhil association – a member of the Dounia Collective – said that the marriage of minors with the Fatiha (without going through the written act) represents 10.79% of all marriages, according to the findings of a national study carried out by the association in 2019.
According to data from the Ministry of Justice, 319,177 marriage permits for minors were granted between 2009 and 2018.
“Child marriage in general and of underage girls, in particular, has disastrous effects and consequences such as dropping out of school, early pregnancies, as well as domestic violence and child mortality,” he said, quoting a 2015 World Bank study.
The Dounia Collective includes ten associations from different regions of the Kingdom working for the protection of children and against the marriage of minors.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
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