Morocco achieved a score of 55.9 points out of 100 in the 2021 Regional Index on VAWG. Morocco has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and in April 2022 joined the Optional Protocol to CEDAW. However, Morocco still has reservation to article 29 and maintains declaration to articles 2 and 15.
The country made progressive steps for combating VAWG, chief among them is enacting the law No 103-13 on combating violence against women of 2018. The law brought in specific definition for VAWG to mean “any act based on gender discrimination that entails physical, psychological, sexual, or economic harm to a woman”. The law includes the four dimensions pertaining to the elimination of violence against women: prevention, protection, prosecution, and support. It criminalises some forms of domestic violence, establishes prevention measures, and provides new protections for survivors. The law did not only criminalise some forms of domestic violence, but also all forms of violence against women (VAW) in various areas, settings, and situations.
The Ministry of Solidarity, Social Development, Equality and Family leads the national awareness-raising campaigns on combating VAWG. Specialised services are provided to women victims of VAWG in 10 State-run shelters. Morocco established police units to support women victims of VAWG, particularly domestic violence. There are cooperation mechanisms among government ministries and institutions. The government established a protocol for the cooperation between police, shelters, hospitals, courts/ judiciaries, ministries, and civil society.
For more information, please download Morocco National Report