Amina Oufroukhi: Meet Morocco’s ‘Anti-Trafficking Hero’

As the world celebrates the international women’s day, it is more than fitting to seize the opportunity to honor Moroccan women whose invaluable achievements have kept Moroccan society together and moving forward in a wide range of sectors.

Amina Oufroukhi, a trail-blazer and difference-maker in the legal field, undoubtedly deserves a spot among inspirational Moroccan who over the past months and years have expertly, impressively navigated their professional career and their family lives to have lasting impact in their respective fields.

The acting president of the International Judicial Cooperation Department, Oufroukhi was a judge within the Moroccan Ministry of Justice’s Directorate of Criminal Affairs and Pardons.

In 2004, when there were 5 pilot courts in the largest Moroccan cities, she and her associates established several units aimed at facilitating access to judicial procedures for women, which had a positive impact on women victims of violence.

Amina Oufroukhi contributed to the drafting of Morocco’s anti-trafficking law in 2016.

When considering a topic on the theme of protecting vulnerable populations, Oufroukhi opted in 2017 to explore the urgency of combating human trafficking. Her work was subsequently awarded the “Heroine Award for Trafficking in Human Beings for the year 2017.”

Afterwards, she shifted her attention to raising awareness about, and fighting against the forced marriage of minors, a phenomenon mostly prevailing in rural areas.

“Human trafficking is one of the most atrocious crimes that targets human rights in depth. This crime saw great concern internationally as it is amongst the crimes that occur secretly, thus difficult to detect them and identify their victims,” Oufroukhi told the news outlet Maghreb24 in February of last year.

Who exactly is Amina Oufroukhi?

Amina Oufroukhi is a native of a small town in the Middle Atlas. Both her father and grandfather were judges. Since her childhood, Oufroukhi dreamed of following their track in the legal field to become a role model for all Moroccan girls and women who aspire to succeed in male-dominated sectors.

Fate smiled on her as she became a law clerk, which allowed her to get close to plaintiffs and empathize with them. She then joined the Ministry of Justice, where she had the opportunity to handle cases concerning the protection of women, children, and immigrants.

Oufroukhi advises people who seek to attain a goal in life to strongly stick to patience and perseverance. Thus her motto: “Those most in need of protection are those who fail to make their voices heard. Therefore, it’s up to us to seek them out and find ways to protect them.”