As women’s status in Moroccan society has yet to evolve to levels activists demand, NGOs, activists and civil society actors are continuing to campaign and fight for further gender equity.
On the occasion of the International Women’s Rights Day, here are some of the most impactful gender equity campaigns led by these actors, who continue to fight for better lives for Moroccan women.
You are the rapist!
With a song called “My body my freedom” released in 2020, a feminist group in Tetouan followed a rather unconventional way to make their message heard.
The song was a follow-up to the “International Women’s Anthem,” launched in Chile back in 2019 to combat harassment and violence against women.
The Moroccan group was under fire for the music video as well as the lyrics, the members even received cruel rape threats, which they addressed in the same year in a press release expressing the will to peruse the matter legally as a reaction to the shocking insults and slanders.
The NGO highlighted the nobility of the issues for which she pleads and stands for, explaining that the video for the song “You are the rapist” is a preliminary experimental work, and comes within the framework of a series of ongoing preparations made by the group to engage in the international initiative that was launched from Chile.
Masaktach (I’m not keeping quiet):
#Maskatach was launched by a collective of women and men denouncing violence against women and especially legitimizing rape culture in Morocco.
In 2018, the NGO launched a digital campaign, to fight the stigma of speaking on harassment and assault.
Almost 6 years now since it first launched, and the movement is still very consistent in its efforts to make women’s voices heard loud and clear.
In memory of Aicha Chenna, the death of raped minor, women’s rights groups applied pressure for the decriminalization of abortion:
Last September, before the parliament, Moroccan women called for the decriminalization of abortions in support of the tragic death of the 14-year-old Meriem, and all the other victims of laws restricting access to healthy, safe pregnancy termination.
The late Aicha Chenna was a women’s rights advocate and activist, known for her work in areas subject to social and religious taboos.
The feminist protestors decide to follow her steps by verbalizing their demands and taking solidarity stands with pressing causes.
On October 10, which was Moroccan Women’s day, young feminists recounted the struggle to be heard as they protested before the parliament in hopes of a change.
On that occasion, Hespress EN interviewed Yasmina Benslimane, a feminist activist and women empowerment coach, and founder of Politics4her, who was hopeful about the upcoming changes in the future of Moroccan women.
Today, she told us that in terms of daring or impactful campaigns, “I haven’t seen a campaign truly leading to a strong impact since 2014 when Amina Filali ended her life and Morocco revoked article 475 authorizing a rapist to marry his victim.”
Yasmina isn’t as hopeful or as optimistic as she was a couple of months ago, as “there are still no changes in our laws.
The activist measures impact by legislative changes, therefore she believes that the national and the international feminism community still have a long fight to take.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.