Rabat – NGO and government statistics continue to ring alarm bells regarding the prevalence of child marriage in Morocco.
Morocco’s Minister of Family and Social Integration Aouatif Hayat participated in the weekly government briefing on Thursday, July 7 in Rabat, where she answered questions regarding child marriage in Morocco.
The official told the press that the public prosecution office has been taking concrete steps to prevent underage marriages, emphasizing that permissions are only approved if the person concerned is aged 17.5 and older.
“But we are all against underage marriage,” the minister said, stating that the government has continued to implement stricter marriage laws in an effort to end the issue.
She warned, however, that many families allow marriage for their underage daughters due to several social factors, including finances.
Hayat discussed a collaboration with the Minister of Education to raise awareness against child marriage, recalling that some academic delegates and government institutions already work with the public prosecutor’s office to prevent underage marriage.
The minister also noted that government and educational institutions alert the public prosecution office whenever a minor student drops out of school.
The office will then investigate the case and attempt to encourage the dropouts to return to schools, the minister said.
While girls might stop attending school due to underage marriage, dropping out is also common among young males, who quit education to help their families financially by finding jobs.
Morocco’s government acknowledged that child marriage requests continue to increase despite efforts to end the practice.
Statistics from April 2019 showed that courts across Morocco received approximately 27,623 requests for child marriage in 2019.
Data from 2020 indicated that 19,965 child marriage requests were issued in 2020, 13,335 of which were granted legal permission.
In Morocco, the legal age for marriage is set at 18.
Judges are allowed to approve underage marriages, however, if they are in the “supreme interests” of young girls.
The government argued that magistrates are not accountable for the alarming figures of requests, but that they are responsible for the number of authorizations granted.
The government is nevertheless well aware that improving socio-economics in rural areas can contribute to mitigating underage marriages. Hayat said that working to empower women and families in remote areas can prevent them from allowing child marriages.
