HENAN HARIT

Morocco- Moroccan voters have been waiting for the general elections to be held today for months. Particularly, Moroccan women carried out many works for the parties’ election programs because the Moroccan political parties attached great importance to women’s issues in their election programs maybe for the first time in Moroccan history.

The Socialist Union of Popular Forces promised to carry out works to empower women in its election campaign. The party’s member Henan Rehab told us that the issue of improving the situation of women has an important place in the programs of the parties. She proposes a fund should be launched for women, who are subjected to “physical, verbal, moral, economic, sexual violence”. Her party promises to legally recognize women as the heads of their families.  Henan Rehab drew attention to the fact that their aim, as the party, is to combat violence against women and to achieve gender equality in working areas.  The Socialist Union of Popular Forces aims to put its policies about women into practice by 2030.

They develop important measures

The Alliance of the Democratic Left offers Moroccan women important measures to improve their status, Sanaa Hadnan said, “Leftists have developed 20 measures about women and their problems. One of the most important measures is the implementation of a constitutional mechanism that guarantees rights and equality. It is a positive step aimed at improving the status of women. The alliance carries out works to enact laws to reduce violence.”

Empowering women is a priority

Maryam Lewaddin, a researcher and university professor, commented on the programs of the political parties, “The political parties announced their programs on women's empowerment and equality. They propose a set of different and complementary measures to improve the situation of women and girls in general.” Maryam Lewaddin talked about the program of the Istiqlal or Independence Party, “It promises to take measures for the economic and political empowerment of women. The political parties include women in their programs and it is a step for the political parties.”