International Women’s Day: Interim Thematic Working Group on Equality and Parity Organizes Seminar on “Family Code and the Avenues to Equality”

<p style="text-align: justify;">To commemorate International Women's Day, the Interim Thematic Working Group on Equality and Parity organized on Friday, March 8, 2024, a seminar on “<strong><em>Family Code and the avenues to equality</em></strong>.” The seminar featured the participation of parliamentarians, academics, and civil society actors.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In his address on this occasion, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, noted that the House has chosen to debate the theme of women's human rights on a regular and practical basis throughout the year, not just on this annual occasion, mainly through the strategic orientation aimed at institutionalizing the questions of equality and parity. This orientation revolves around two aspects: the legal one, mirrored in the devotion of an entire title to equality and parity in the Rules of Procedure of the House, and the operational aspect, through the exercise of the constitutional functions of the Parliament in terms of legislation, control, and evaluation, on the one hand, and the creation of an Interim Thematic Group on Equality and Parity, formed of Representatives from all the Parliamentary Groups and Caucus, on the other.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami underscored the importance of the reform process conducted by the Kingdom of Morocco with steady strides in gender equality, both through legislation and the national projects being implemented under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah glorify him.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In the same respect, he added that His Majesty granted the Family Code peculiar attention and has been keen since he acceded to the Throne of his glorious ancestors to affirm the importance of the family as the nucleus of society, underscoring on several occasions the fundamental values that must be adopted in relations within the family, at the forefront of which is women's dignity.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Speaker of the House also highlighted the importance of the Royal efforts to modernize the Family Code in 2004, which has shown its progressiveness and uniqueness in drafting and tenor. He also added that His Majesty uncovered the shortcomings of the Code in his speech on the 23^rd Throne Day, hence rendering His Majesty's directives to revise it an essential step towards protecting the rights of women and children and reinforcing gender equality within the family.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Speaker stressed the importance of addressing several challenges, including the interpretation and application of laws, including the Family Code, noting that ameliorating this Law also requires focusing on the cultural aspects and redressing the wrong perceptions of family relations and social roles.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In the same vein, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami noted the importance of the social protection project, which will help meet the needs of women and address the discrimination and alienation they undergo in work and health, empower them economically, protect them from violence, and allow them participation in public life.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">For her part, Rep. Najwa Koukouss, Chairperson of the Interim Thematic Working Group on Equality and Parity, stressed in her address the importance of organizing this seminar as part of implementing the work program of the Group in its new format. The Group has chosen the theme of the Family Code as one of its priorities, along with several other equality-related topics.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In her address, she also emphasized that this seminar is an opportunity to assess public policies targeting women and to discuss the conditions of Moroccan women both inside the country and abroad while offering a chance to put forward suggestions and work towards plans and strategies to advance the conditions of women and enhance their dignity.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">As part of the Thematic Working Group on Equality and Parity's accompaniment of the ongoing debate on the revision of the Family Code, Rep. Najwa Koukouss stressed that this seminar represents a good opportunity to contribute to this social debate with impartiality, avoiding favoring one political reference over another or engaging in political biddings.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In the same regard, she also welcomed the efforts to implement Royal directives to promote women's rights and achieve equality, stressing that this goal requires continued efforts to guarantee the legal and social conditions to ensure equal opportunities.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">On the same occasion, Leila Rhiwi, UN Women Representative in Morocco, underlined the Kingdom's commitment to further anchor gender equality and combat discrimination against women and girls, as reflected in numerous constitutional, legislative, and political reforms. She also saw Morocco's accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women as proof of this commitment.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Ms. Rhiwi also stressed the importance of the House of Representatives re-creating the Interim Thematic Working Group on Equality and Parity, welcoming the cooperation between the House and the UN body, particularly in matters of related legislation, as well as the creation of a permanent task force responsible for gender equality and the defense of this cause.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The UN representative also reiterated UN Women's commitment to accompanying and supporting the initiatives of the House of Representatives aimed at promoting women's rights and gender equality, praising the initiative taken by the House of Representatives in organizing this seminar as a timely opportunity to exchange ideas and proposals.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Taking the floor during the seminar, Carmen Morte Gomez, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Morocco, pointed out that one in three women in today's world suffers from violence in all its forms. In this respect, she noted the imperative of advocating the fight against all forms of injustice and discrimination against women. Ms. Morte Gomez also highlighted the recommendations of the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council concerning the marriage of girls, emphasizing the importance of accession to the Council of Europe’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">She also called for action to combat the stereotypes that entrench violence and discrimination against women in judicial decisions and judgments and to strengthen victims' trust in the justice system and the police.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In the same context, Ms. Morte Gomez stressed that the mechanisms emanating from the Istanbul Convention aim to reduce gender gaps by changing the stereotypes of the patriarchal system. She added that the Council of Europe's 2024-2029 Strategy for Gender Equality focuses on combating violence against women and girls, the political empowerment of women, and the close coordination of views between the various competent institutions.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">For her part, Ms. Zhour El Horr, an expert in women's human rights, gave a detailed presentation on the historical and social transformations that have marked the Family Code. She also addressed some of the challenges facing the reform of the Family Code and the preservation of the institution of the family home from a legal and rights-based perspective.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The afternoon sitting of the seminar was devoted to contributions from the Parliamentary Groups and Caucus and the non-attached Representatives on the subject of "The Family Code and the avenues to equality,” on the horizon of drawing up recommendations and proposals at the end of the seminar.</p>