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Meknes – Morocco’s city of Casablanca hosted on December 8 a meeting on customary child marriage themed “Perspectives on Customary Marriage, a Necessary Legal Reform.”
The meeting took place to mark the international celebration of the International Day of Human Rights, on Wednesday in Casablanca. The event was initiated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Women, and the Moroccan National Institute of Solidarity with Women in Distress (INSAF).
The opportunity allowed participants to emphasize the progress made in the fight against the customary marriage of minors, noting, however, the need to redouble efforts to eradicate the practice.
Meriem Othmani, President of INSAF, highlighted the progress that was made by associations working both in advocacy and in the field. She also recalled the positive impact of national and international partners who have supported and continue to support civil society initiatives and programs.
While underage marriage is illegal according to the Moroccan Family Code, the same code provides for exemptions in some supposedly special circumstances.
Read also: Moroccan Courts Allowed 13,335 Child Marriages in 2020
Othmani also lamented “the disastrous consequences for the lives of children born of these unions.” INSAF contributed to ensuring more than 550 girls were able to attend school, thanks to the assumption of their school fees, she noted.
UNFPA Representative Luis Mora stressed the need to collaborate to put an end to this harmful practice that affects more than 650 million women and girls in the world.
Mora recalled the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994 that stimulated different countries to put an end to this practice.
The representative of the Ministry of Social Integration, and Family, Karima Hliouti, highlighted the efforts allocated by the authorities and public institutions to protect the young girls.
Morocco outlawed underage marriage in 2004 as part of the Moroccan Family Code reform.
Specifically, the code dictates that a judge has the authority to grant permission for underage marriages under article 16 of said code, creating a loophole that prevents eradicating child marriage in the North African country.
Data compiled by UNICEF as part of a 2020 survey indicates that family authority and restricted access to education puts young girls at a higher risk of early marriage.
In its latest report, “Towards the Elimination of Child Marriage, Global Trends and Progress Profiles,” presented in October 2021, UNICEF estimates that approximately 650 million girls and women alive today were married before their 18th birthday.
