HANAN HARET

Morocco- More than 60 Moroccan women’s organizations and NGOs came together to discuss the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and prepare a national report.

The Beijing Declaration was a resolution adopted by the UN at the end of the Fourth World Conference on Women on September 15, 1995.

The national report includes a set of recommendations regarding the political, economic and social status of women and girls in the country and their participation in decision-making positions.

Regarding the importance and role of such reports, Amal Al-Amin, project manager at the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, said, “Such reports are a way to put pressure on governments to improve the human rights situation in the countries. Since Morocco has already ratified some international conventions related to women's rights, it is obligated to respond to the recommendations in the reports.”

‘There is still a long way to go to achieve gender equality’

There are still large gender gaps between men and women despite the struggle of Moroccan women and the gains they have achieved, Amal Al-Amin said. “I think there is still a long way to go to achieve gender equality without discrimination. Everyone should make great efforts to improve the situation of women in Morocco.”

‘Girls are deprived of their right to education’

Speaking about the prepared report, Amal Al- Amin said, “One of the issues discussed by us was the right to education. Despite all the efforts, the dropout rate for girls is still high. Many girls are deprived of their right to education in Morocco. Education is a powerful tool to help women and girls escape poverty and improve their social status. Programs are needed to enable girls to study and to abolish child marriage, especially in rural areas.”

Call for women

The gender gap still exists in many areas, especially in rural and marginalized areas, Amal Al-Amin emphasized. “Women’s economic empowerment should be promoted to ensure their rights and protection by improving their economic conditions, investing their projects and creating employment for them. I call on the government to develop policies that reduce the gender gap, especially in rural areas, and allow women to enjoy all their rights because a country can develop when the status of women are developed.”