The Committee insisted upon the necessity for the Moroccan government to show a stronger political commitment in order to accelerate the path to necessary reforms for Morocco to comply with the CEDAW Convention, ratified by Morocco in 1993. The Committee said these reforms should not take intolerably long time and suggested Morocco put in place specific mechanisms to promote women’s rights.
The Committee also recommended to the Moroccan authorities:
– To address the issue of violence against women including domestic violence, by publicizing the problem, punishing the authors of violence and rehabilating the victims.
– To address stereotypes notably through education. The Committee recalled that the indispensable fight against women’s illiteracy was not sufficient and that education to equality should be promoted by training of teachers and modification of education materials for instance. The Committee said it expected results in the forthcoming report of Morocco.
– To ensure sustainability of women’s representation in public and political life. The Committee said it was impressed of the efforts of Morocco in that matter, which need to be enhanced.
– To promote participation of women at decision-making posts in the judicial and economic areas.
– To reexamine - through a speedy and direct approach - the numerous Moroccan discriminatory laws against women, including the Code of Personal Status. The Committee expressed deep concern about grave discriminations suffered by women in particular concerning marriage, divorce and care of the children.
– To consider withdrawal of reservations to article 9 and 16 of the CEDAW Convention. Such a withdrawal as well as ratification of the additional protocol to the Convention would represent a sign of the political will of Morocco to engage in the needed reforms to put an end to discrimination against women.
The Association démocratique des femmes marocaines (ADFM) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) note with satisfaction the points raised by the Committee which correspond to a large extent to the subjects of concern of the Moroccan NGOs, reflected in the parallel report coordinated by the ADFM.
The ADFM and the FIDH call upon Morocco to abide by the recommendations of the Committe, without any delay. The ADFM and the FIDH will follow with great attention the so-long expected legislative harmonization and the adoption of a real action plan to put an end to the grave discriminations still suffered by Moroccan women today.