Address of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, at the Colloquium Commemorating International Women’s Day on the Theme: “The Family Code and the Avenues to Equality”

08/03/2024

Distinguished Representative of UN Women in Morocco,
Esteemed Head of the Council of Europe’s Office in Morocco,
Esteemed Representative of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy,
Honorable Parliamentarians,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Similarly to the other countries around the globe, we commemorate today the International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8th of every year. We consider this commemoration an annual opportunity to monitor our progress in the policies targeting women’s rights and fighting discrimination between women and men. It is also an opportunity to identify the challenges we must address to achieve equality in rights between the two genders.
At the House of Representatives, we have 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. We have also outlined an ambitious program to contribute, alongside the various institutional, civil society, and academic actors, to accelerating the pace of achieving gender equality in our country. Through creating this Group, we intend to contribute to the national efforts aimed at strengthening gender equality by proposing, supporting, and solidifying the gains achieved by women in all fields, reinforcing them at the level of decision-making positions, solidifying the joint action bonds with all civil society organizations and the ones operating in human rights and politics to ameliorate women’s conditions, and establishing and developing participatory relations with the active institutions in the international community serving in the field of human rights.
By way of involvement in the reform launched by His Majesty the King, may Allah protect him, to revise the Family Code and as part of our quest to enrich the parliamentary dialogue on gender quality in the economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights, the commemoration of this International Day will tackle the aspect of the Family Code, given the timeliness of the theme, its importance, its concurrence with the public debate that captures the interest of the national public opinion, and the appointment by His Majesty the King of a Committee to revise the Family Code. This Colloquium that focuses on the theme “The Family Code and the avenues to equality” will be an opportunity to share opinions and views on this crucial legislative project, which is of tremendous importance given its human rights, social, economic, and value dimensions, while recalling the Royal directives to amend the Family Code “within the scope of the purposes of Islamic Shariʿa (Law) and the peculiarities of the Moroccan society, while adopting moderation, diligence, consultation and dialogue, and involving all the concerned institutions and actors.” These Royal directives are a referential roadmap for us to protect the rights of women and children, strengthen women’s rights, and anchor equality between men and women within the family to safeguard the best interest of children.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
Esteemed attendees,
His Majesty the King, may Allah protect him, 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 woman's dignity. In this respect, His Majesty called on the Committee in charge of revising the Family Code in 2003 to "adopt a modern version instead of the notions that undermine women’s dignity and humanness."
The Royal keenness that led to the promulgation of a modern Code in 2004, which has shown its progressiveness and uniqueness at the levels of the drafting methodology and the tenor, was the same one that was displayed clearly and strongly when His Majesty noted in the 23rd Anniversary of Throne Day the shortcomings of the Code. In this respect, His Majesty said, "The Family Code was a major leap forward. However, it is no longer sufficient. Experience has shown that many hurdles stand in the way of completing this process and achieving its objectives."
Besides, His Majesty noted, "Building the kind of country we yearn for, one committed to progress and dignity, is only possible with the participation of all Moroccans, men and women alike, in the development process. […] The question here is not about giving women unwarranted privileges but rather about giving them their legal and legitimate rights. In today's Morocco, women can no longer be deprived of their rights."
Ladies and gentlemen,
We are proud of the reform process we are conducting with steady strides in the field of gender equality, whether in legislation or in the national projects being implemented under the leadership of His Majesty the King.
Among the projects that will directly impact women's conditions, their empowerment, and the reinforcement of gender equality, we should cite the social protection project, which will enable the fulfillment of women's various needs and counter the discrimination and marginalization they undergo in work or health. It will also allow women to benefit from health services and enjoy their birth rights in a way that gradually enables them to achieve economic empowerment and independence, puts an end to violence against women, and allows them to participate in public life.
The said opportunities benefit not only women but society overall, as they ameliorate national indices, through decreasing maternal and neonatal deaths, for instance. They also contribute to limiting underage marriage due to failure to meet families' health and educational needs, decreasing the gap between the two genders in work, and ameliorating citizens' living conditions.
Morocco's journey towards equality, as founded by His Majesty the King since his ascension to the Throne and reinforced by the 2011 Constitution, is a global journey that covers the legal, social, and economic aspects and is a source of pride to us all. However, we must address several challenges, primarily those related to the interpretation and application of legal texts, including the Family Code. In this regard, we should note the existence of several hurdles that hinder the adequate application of the Code's provisions, particularly by some civil servants and justice practitioners, as His Majesty the King noted that they "still believe the said Code is strictly for women." Therefore, we must recall that in parallel to the reform of this Code, we must take into consideration the cultural dimension and redress the misconceptions about it, about the relation between women and men within the family and in other spaces, and about the social roles of each of them, which is a challenge that requires us all to deploy efforts to combat the stereotypes prevailing in society, including in the family, school, media, and other social upbringing institutions.
 
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
Lastly, I want to praise the efforts of the various governmental and non-governmental national actors and commend the cooperation with the regional and international organizations, which has a significant role in learning from the best practices around the world and reinforcing parliamentary diplomacy in gender equality. This cooperation is our means to translate our strong desire to anchor the brotherhood, friendship, cooperation, solidarity, and constructive partnership bonds and achieve shared progress, particularly in protecting women’s human rights, contributing to their development, and banning all forms of gender-based discrimination.
To conclude, I wish you success in the proceedings of this colloquium. I hope it will culminate in qualitative and practical conclusions and recommendations that would constitute the basis for ameliorating parliamentary action in family legislation and other laws related to women’s human rights.
May Allah assist us all in achieving the good of the country under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah protect him.
Thank you for your keen listening.