Morocco reiterates commitment to fight violence against women, despite alarming rise in recorded cases

Moroccan ambassador to the UN, Omar Hilale affirmed to the international community that the country is “resolutely committed to fighting violence against women.”

The ambassador was speaking at a high-level meeting on the occasion of the first anniversary of the creation of the Group of Friends on Violence Against Women, for which Morocco was a founding member.

Hilale reminded the plenary of the April 2020 Joint Declaration that gathered Morocco, the European Union, Argentina, Mongolia, New Zealand, Namibia, and Turkey, in the face of the “alarming” upsurge of various forms of violence against women and girls during the early days of the pandemic.

Over 146 UN member and observer states signed the declaration, which solidified the international support and commitment that accompanied the Declaration.

Hilale noted that this “noble” alliance has initiated, throughout its first year of existence, multiple activities with the objective of forging a “way forward” for women and girls in times of dire need, while reiterating the commitment of the members of the Group to this common goal.

The group “will spare no effort to prioritize the prevention of and response to gender-based violence as essential elements in our respective national and global responses to current and future health crises,” said the ambassador, adding that “members of this alliance demonstrate an enduring commitment to zero tolerance” for violence against all women and girls.

Despite Morocco’s significant efforts to counter the multiple forms of violence against women, recent reports on the matter prove the country still has a long and arduous road ahead.

The National Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) recorded a total of 61,388 complaints of violence against women and girls, from 62,383 individual victims, since the beginning of 2021 alone.

7% of victims were minors, while underage marriage in Morocco persists, exacerbating this unfortunate phenomenon.

Back in 2020, the DGSN reported a total of 50,841 cases of violence against women from 47,033 individual victims, 9% of which were minors, while 15,806 defendants appeared before Moroccan courts as a result.