Women victims of violence in Morocco spent over MAD 2.5 billion in one year, HCP

The High Commission for Planning (HCP) in collaboration with UN-WOMEN estimated for the first time in Morocco the economic cost of violence against women and girls, stating an overall cost of MAD 2.85 billion.

The average cost is around MAD 957 per victim, added the report published on Saturday.

In detail, from all the women victims of physical and/or sexual violence during the 12 months preceding the survey, 22.8% had to bear the direct or indirect costs of the violence for themselves or their families.

The share of the urban environment in the overall economic cost of violence is 72% (MAD 2.05 billion), while in the rural area is 28% (MAD 792 million), added the same source.

The average cost borne by urban victims (MAD 1000 per victim) is higher than that of rural victims (MAD 862 per victim), further stated the report.

Direct costs constitute the major part of the overall economic cost with a share of 82% (MAD 2.33 billion), against only 18% for indirect costs (MAD 517 million).

The conjugal space alone accounts for more than two-thirds of the global cost of violence with a share of 70% (a global cost of MAD 1.98 billion), followed by public places with 16% (MAD 448 million) and the family context with 13% (MAD 366 million), specified the same source.

Regarding forms of violence, almost 85% of the overall cost is linked to physical violence (MAD 2.4 billion) and 15.3% sexual violence (MAD 436 million).

The cost of violence in public places is around MAD 447.6 million

Of all the women who were subjected to violence in public places, 16.2% incurred direct and indirect costs estimated at MAD 448 million in the 12 months preceding the survey, of which MAD 358.5 million were due to acts of physical violence (80% of the total cost) and MAD 98.2 million to acts of sexual violence (20%), said the joint report.

Incidents of physical and/or sexual violence in public places in the 12 months preceding the survey resulted in a total indirect cost of MAD 91.6 million for 6.3% of victims, of which MAD 68.6 million (75%) was due to the loss of days of paid work by victims and their spouses, according to the same source.