RAbat - The number Moroccan underage girls that are married reached more than 100,000 as of September 2014, according to the most recent data released by High Commission for Planning. The result of the Sixth General Census of Population and Housing (RGPH 2014), which took place 1 to 20 September 2014, concluded that 102,197 minor girls were married as of September 2014, according to the High Commission for Planning.
RAbat – The number Moroccan underage girls that are married reached more than 100,000 as of September 2014, according to the most recent data released by High Commission for Planning.
The result of the Sixth General Census of Population and Housing (RGPH 2014), which took place 1 to 20 September 2014, concluded that 102,197 minor girls were married as of September 2014, according to the High Commission for Planning.
According to the same source, 57,656 of those child marriages took place rural areas, while 44,541 minors were married in urban areas.
The phenomenon of underage marriage remains deeply rooted in Moroccan culture. A previous field research conducted by Morocco’s Ytto Foundation in December 2014 in the Midelt province, revealed that among 138 marriages in the area, 52 percent of brides were underage girls.
The report noted that 83 percent of women interviewed in Midelt province said they were married before the age of 18, and 91 percent of them said they were without legal documents.
“In some cases, young girls get married at the age of 12, 13 and 14. Those girls are experiencing symptoms of illness for being obliged to bear psychological and physical burdens which don’t match their age,” the report concluded.
