Hiking to Shed Light on Gender Violence in Morocco

Rabat – A group of 13 women refugees climbed Morocco’s Mount Toubkal on December 13, to bring public attention to the fight against gender violence.

The 13 women refugees and seven women staff from the United Nations’ High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) embarked on a daunting trip to scale Morocco’s highest mountain peak.

Fleeing political instability in Yemen, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, and Senegal, these women are now taking part in UNHCR’s 16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence initiative.

The group aimed to raise awareness of the challenges facing women and especially women refugees around the world. 

Read Also: 9 Out of 10 Women in Northern Morocco Experienced Violence in 2019

With orange scarves around their necks, the color symbolizing the fight against Gender-Based Violence, the women slowly made their way on the rocky path to the mountain top covered in snow.

Rooted in gender inequality, the UN initiative defines gender-based violence as any harmful act directed against an individual based on their gender. 

Women are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence, with global estimates indicating that one in three women worldwide experience violence at some point in their lives.

Gender-based violence against women is further aggravated in the case of female refugees. Women represent almost half of the 253.6 million people displaced worldwide because of political instability and economic hardship in their countries or origin. 

According to international NGOs, women refugees are at a greater risk of suffering gender-based violence. In fact, research shows that women are more likely to suffer from vulnerability and marginalization. 

As women refugees escape wars in their home countries, they’re likely to face human trafficking, kidnapping, and forced marriages.

UN reports indicate that girls refugees at secondary levels have 50% lower chances of enrolling in high schools than their male counterparts.