- Moroccans cite gender-based violence (GBV) as the second-most-important women’s-rights issue that the government and society must address (Figure 1).
- More than two-thirds (68%) of citizens say GBV is “not very common” or “not at all common” in their community. About three in 10 (31%) disagree (Figure 2).
- Three-quarters (76%) of citizens say it is “never” justified for a man to use physical force to discipline his wife (Figure 3).
- Moroccans are divided on whether gender-based violence should be treated as a criminal matter (48%) or a private matter (51%) to be resolved within the family (Figure 4).
Moroccans see gender-based violence (GBV) as the second-most-important women’s-rights issue that their government and society must address, after unequal pay or opportunities in the workplace, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey.
Majorities of citizens say that GBV does not occur often in their communities and that it is never justified for a man to use physical force to discipline his wife. But they are split on whether GBV should be treated as a criminal or a private matter.
Morocco’s approach to addressing GBV incorporates institutional, legal, and advocacy efforts. A pivotal step was the inception of a national strategy to counter violence against women in 2002. Subsequent milestones include the 2014 repeal of Penal Code Article 475(2), which permitted marriage between a rapist and his victim; the 2016 enactment of Law 27-14 against human trafficking; and Law 103.13 on violence against women in 2018.
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