Morocco Poised to Tackle Persistent Challenges in Family Code

Monday 22 January 2024 - 15:11

In September of last year, His Majesty King Mohammed VI urged the Moroccan government to undertake comprehensive reforms to the family code, addressing the enduring issues affecting women and children in terms of their fundamental rights. In a recent interview, Amina Bouayach, the president of Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH), outlined an ambitious vision for advancing these rights through an inclusive and thoughtful revision process.

Fresh off receiving the prestigious North-South Prize from the Council of Europe for her contributions to human rights and gender equality, Ms. Bouayach expressed pride in Morocco's growing leadership role in the human rights arena. She pointed to the country's recent election to head the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2024 as further evidence of its expanding influence.

Nevertheless, Ms. Bouayach acknowledged critical issues still affecting Moroccan society, including child marriage, violence against women, and child sexual abuse. She emphasized that the new family code aims to provide robust, modernized responses to these persistent familial problems.

A special committee has already conducted 130 consultation sessions involving diverse stakeholders such as NGOs, political parties, and legal experts to review potential updates to the code. Ms. Bouayach highlighted that the goal is to find comprehensive solutions that strike a balance between religious, social, cultural, and legal considerations.

With HM King Mohammed VI prioritizing these reforms and Morocco emerging as a human rights leader, the country seems poised to implement a progressive new family code that responds to the calls for action from advocates for women and children. Ms. Bouayach and the commission have outlined an inclusive roadmap, focusing on addressing core challenges through thoughtful compromise and negotiation.