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Rabat- After the “Be a free woman” hashtag (#Soisunefemmelibre) lit up Twitter in Morocco, Moroccan activists have launched a petition to oppose the “Be a man Be a man” (#KounRajl) campaign, which encouraged men in Morocco to tell their female relatives to cover up at the beach.
The petition, launched on Thursday, called on the head of government and Morocco’s political parties to intervene and abolish the hashtag perceived to be against the freedoms of women.
According to the signatories of the petition, the hashtag “has stirred emotion and indignation.”
According to the petition, the “misogynistic” campaign is not the first of its kind. “Last year, a ‘militia’ raid on a beach in Agadir forced women in swimwear to cover themselves, including foreign tourists,” reads the petition.
Backing the argument, the author of the petition, President and founder of the Women’s Tribune Association Fathia Bennis wrote: “The body of women in the public space seems to be disturbing more and more Moroccan men, some of whom allow themselves, with impunity, to ‘overplay’ an unacceptable police role in our country.”
The petition, according to signatories, was launched not only to defend the freedom and equality of citizens but also to raise awareness and concern about the “future of our society hitherto based on tolerance and openness in the world.”
Women know it
The petition also discussed the alleged increase of violence against women. Despite multiple anti-harassment campaigns, gender-based violence remains an issue in Morocco. A 2016 report from the National Observatory said that harassment in public spaces affects 73 percent of women.
The High Commissioner for Planning HCP conducted an investigation in 2017 after a shocking assault on a public bus in Casablanca. The study revealed that physical violence affects 808,000 victims, representing 14.2 percent of women.
Morocco has adopted a new law on violence against women, providing protections for women and punishments for perpetrators.
Law 103-13 also recognizes forms of abuse that many face from their partners and families.
Not enough?
The petition claims that various forms of violence against women are increasing. The petition also recalled King Mohammed VI’s calls to reduce inequalities between genders. Article 19 of Morocco’s constitution says that men and women “shall enjoy, equally, civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights and freedoms set forth in this title and in the other provisions of the Constitution.”
The same petition says that Morocco works to achieve parity between men and women.
The call also condemned the rise of “an exacerbated retrograde mentality, creating a climate of psychological and physical violence which undermine the safety of the citizens.”
The petition attracted more than 1,500 signatures, and aimed for 5,000.
Several Moroccan activists slammed “Be a man” hashtag against swimwear, describing it as a violation of the rights to freedom of Moroccan women.
Bouchra Abdou, an activist, feminist, and president of Tahadi Center, told Morocco World News that the campaign “misleads the meaning of manness as it is based on power, absolute jurisdiction and control over the fate of others.”
Several activists also contacted attempted to correct the misconception about the role of men, emphasizing that men should be brave and respect the freedom of others rather than imposing their opinions on others.
