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Morocco

Population size: 

36,471,769 [1]

Number of people experiencing domestic abuse each year:

A 2018 report on gender-based violence records nearly 12,233 cases of violence against women in 2018 against 10,959 in 2017. The findings show that 48.95 % of the reported cases of violence were psychological, while 24.42% were socio-economic violence. Meanwhile, sexual violence and physical violence represented 4.68% and 5.7 %, respectively. The majority of women victims of violence, according to the report, were housewives with “little education.” The findings show that 48.95% of the reported cases of violence were psychological, while 24.42% were socio economic violence. Meanwhile, sexual violence and physical violence represented 4.68% and 5.7 %, respectively.[2]

Morocco’s High Commission for Planning (HCP) conducted a six-month survey to study the circumstances and consequences of violence against women and girls. The survey found that out of 13.4 million women aged between 15 and 74, more than 7.6 million have experienced at least one act of violence in the previous 12 months. The HCP reports that 58 % of women, representing 5.1 million women experience violence in Moroccan cities, while 55% of women experience violence in rural areas, or 2.5 million women. The survey argues that the proportion of women who have experienced at least one act of violence has decreased by 6 %, from 63% to 57 % “if we consider only the 2009 target population of women aged 118 to 64 years,” the HCP reported. According to the HCP, sexual and economic violence has increased alarmingly compared to psychological and physical violence. The HCP survey finds that the prevalence of psychological and physical violence dropped by almost 9 points. The statistics show that the physical and psychological violence dropped from 58% to 49% . [3]

No research on male victims or other gender identities.


Cost of domestic abuse to the economy each year:

No research.

Estimated % change due to COVID-19:

Between March 20 and April 20, the first month of the lockdown, Moroccan prosecutors registered 892 complaints of physical, sexual, economic, and psychological abuse of women, the prosecution office explained.[4]


Current law and policy:

Morocco commits to raise awareness, enhance women’s economic empowerment, and access to basic services. The Government of the Kingdom of Morocco is committed to raising public awareness in order to eradicate violence against women and girls who are the victims of violence. It is working to facilitate access to justice and to provide appropriate support. Within this framework, on 8 March 2013, the Government is launching a comprehensive multisector initiative to make 2013 the year of social mobilization. This includes the media, and involves men and boys as actors for change in favour of equality. 

The Government is also committed to increasing women's' empowerment by guaranteeing them equal access to economic opportunities and jobs. 

Furthermore, within the framework of "ICRAM", its equality plan for 2012-2016, the Government of Morocco is committed to ensuring equal access to basic services. These include psychological, social and medical care, and legal assistance to help women to understand their rights more clearly and to take appropriate action.


Public spending - In Morocco, the justice system is clearly an avenue of help that women seek. Overall the costs of violence to the justice system are quite significant, totalling $6.7 million annually. Research of women who used public services due to intimate partner violence in the last twelve months, reported that 16.7% used the health service, 8.7% used the police service, 13.5% used the justice service and 6.9% used social services. The study also investigated the out-of-pocket costs to the individual woman in $: Health – 211; Police – 113; Justice: 274; and Social services: 29. Total=157. Overall the costs of violence to the justice system are quite significant, totalling $6.7 million annually.[5]


Frontline Services:

 

Sources


[1] The World Bank, (1).



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