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Rabat – Morocco’s review of the family code gained significant attention both domestically and internationally.
The proposed amendments, which have already received initial approval from Morocco’s religious authorities, still face additional processes before they can be fully enacted by the government.
International media put focus on the new amendments, with headlines stressing the country’s ambition to improve women’s rights.
“Morocco aims to grant women more rights over child custody and guardianship as well as a veto over polygamous marriage,” Reuters said.
The proposals include granting legal guardianship of children to mothers with custody and recognizing the contributions of a wife’s domestic work to the wealth and property accumulated during the marriage.
Legal guardianship of children will be also shared between parents during and after marriage. Divorced mothers will retain custody of their children even if they decide to remarry.
DW described Morocco’s presented reforms as “massive changes” that would grant women more rights.
Atalyar also highlighted Morocco’s proposal, noting that this aims to strengthen the “Moroccan family as the basic unit of society and respond to the current challenges it faces.”
Spanish news outlet El Solidario also covered Morocco’s family code reforms, stressing that the amendments reflect a “significant step forward toward gender equality and the protection of children’s rights.”
During a press conference on Tuesday, Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi said the new amendments aim to address some of the challenges and imbalances that have emerged during its judicial application.
He said the ultimate objective is to create a regulation that is suitable for “today’s Morocco, capable of responding to the societal developments it is experiencing.”
The minister said this change also seeks to ensure the promotion of women’s status and rights as well as the protection of children’s rights, and the preservation of men’s dignity.
Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch said the review of the family code came in line with King Mohammed VI’s instructions, and vision, providing directives regarding the principles that should govern the revision of the family code.
“We will work diligently to translate these directives into a draft revision of the code at the earliest opportunity,” the head of government said on Tuesday.
