EU-funded project spurs policy dialogue on child marriage in Morocco

April 5, 2019
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Child marriage was at the heart of the policy dialogue that Anaouat organized last month in Marrakesh, Morocco. Participants came up with a national action plan to address the increasing numbers of child marriages which made up to 16% of all registered marriages in in Morocco. These activities were implemented within the framework of the EU-funded CSO WINS project «Capacity building in Southern Mediterranean to open policy dialogue and monitoring for women in society».

Participants proposed a set of important recommendations, including:

  • Supervision of judges to ensure that they do not give permission for minor’s marriage, especially in absence of social expertise or medical investigation, justifying the ‘’urgency’’ of this type of marriages.
  • Provision of sex education to children and teenagers from the age of 7.
  • Setting up centres to prepare children and teenagers for marriage and all its implications on family, household and education, etc.
  • Penalizing all stakeholders involved in facilitating minors’ marriage.
  • Raising physicians and CSO’s awareness and build their capacities to fight child marriage.
  • Engaging religious leaders in fighting child marriage.
  • Lobbying for the application of international agreements signed by the Kingdom of Morocco.
  • Setting up a Commission on children’s rights to benefit from media to raise awareness regarding the consequences of child marriage, particularly underage girls.

 

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Press release

Countries covered:

  • Morocco