Rabat – Domestic violence against men remains a largely taboo subject in many societies around the world, including Morocco, where cultural norms and social stigma often prevent male victims from coming forward. The issue is severely underreviolenported, leaving many victims to suffer in silence.
A recent master’s thesis titled “Violence Against Men: Reality of Practice and Mechanisms of Combating It,” authored by Said Al-Moqdam at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez, aims at shedding light on this hidden reality.
The research examined the prevalence, forms, and causes of violence against men in Morocco, as well as revealed the urgent need for legal reforms and broader societal recognition of the problem.
One of the central findings of the research is that violence against men is a “real and significant issue,” with many men enduring abuse in silence due to fear of social stigma. The study emphasized that “verbal and physical violence” are the most common forms of abuse suffered by men, often stemming from reciprocal violence within relationships or from accumulated psychological, social, and economic factors.
A 2021 report from Morocco’s High Commission for Planning (HCP) revealed that while men do experience violence, it is predominantly psychological, especially within marital contexts, making up 94% of their reported violence. Women, in contrast, face a broader range of violence, including psychological (69%), economic (12%), physical (11%), and sexual (8%).
While Moroccan society has normalized discussions around violence committed by men against women, the report highlights that the idea of “wife-on-husband violence remains foreign to Arab societies” and largely goes unreported. Despite this, the research affirms that the issue is real, even if shrouded in silence.
Legal gaps and institutional shortcomings
Al-Moqdam’s research also points to significant gaps in Morocco’s legal framework. The report argues that Moroccan lawmakers have crafted stringent laws to protect women from domestic violence, but have not provided similar protections for men. According to the study, “the Moroccan legislator has excelled in protecting the wife from her husband’s oppression,” while offering little to no legal safeguards for husbands facing abuse.
One of the study’s key findings is that “international conventions still address violence with a gender bias, often referring to the victim as female or as a child.” This, the researcher argues, contributes to the neglect of male victims in both global and local contexts.
To address this disparity, the research makes several recommendations. Al-Moqdam calls for a review of Morocco’s domestic violence laws, including Law 103.13 on combating violence against women. He suggests revising it into a “comprehensive law to combat family violence” that protects all family members, regardless of gender.
He also proposes the introduction of preventive measures and legal provisions that allow male victims of domestic violence to seek justice, including the ability to file for divorce due to abuse — a right that the study argues is currently afforded primarily to women.
In addition, the study advocates for a broader societal response, including “increasing public awareness of the dangers of family violence” and encouraging the media to promote educational content rather than merely broadcasting scenes of violence.
The research asserts that without a shift in both legal and societal attitudes, Moroccan men will continue to suffer in silence as their abuse is not taken as seriously and rights not safeguarded.
Read also: Morocco Sees Significant Increase in Complaints of Violence Against Women in 2021
