Rabat Hotels Lift Ban on Stays for Women Without Marriage Certificates

Hotels in Rabat have lifted the controversial ban that prevented Moroccan women without marriage certificates from staying in their establishments by themselves, according to a report from Le360.

Rabat – Hotels in Rabat have lifted the controversial ban that prevented Moroccan women without marriage certificates from staying in their establishments by themselves, according to a report from Le360.

The decision follows growing public outcry and recent political pressure. On Saturday, local police contacted hotels in the Moroccan capital, instructing them to cease enforcing the unwritten rule, which has long been criticized as discriminatory.

“We were contacted by the police, who asked us to stop applying this measure that penalized women without a marriage certificate,” said the director of a major hotel in Rabat, speaking on condition of anonymity to Le360.

Another anonymous source within the hotel industry confirmed to the Moroccan media that the ban had also been lifted in the city of Fez.

The police control of public places, including hotels, restaurants, cinemas, and theaters, is generally overseen by the general intelligence services under the regional police prefectures.

The timing of the ban’s removal coincides with imminent parliamentary debate on the issue. The House of Councillors recently summoned Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi to address the matter.

The call for Minister Ouahbi’s testimony came from the three main parliamentary majority groups; the National Rally of Independents (RNI), the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), and the Istiqlal Party.

The groups have demanded an urgent meeting of the Justice, Legislation, and Human Rights Commission to discuss the ban.

During an oral question session on May 21, Minister Ouahbi implicitly acknowledged that women without marriage certificates were being illegally barred from staying in hotels. Media reports have frequently highlighted this practice, describing it as a “blatant violation of women’s rights.”

“There is no law prohibiting women without a marriage certificate from staying in a hotel,” Minister Ouahbi stated.

He suggested that the practice might stem from an old administrative note, which some hotels have continued to follow. The exact date for the parliamentary commission’s meeting has yet to be set.