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Every four years, Morocco is supposed to provide a set of projects aiming at improving the human rights situation in the North African country. This year and most precisely during the 27th session of the Universal Periodic Review held on the 2nd of May 2017 in Geneva, NGOs from all over the world have brought on the table a number of questions targeting human rights in Morocco. These questions, as provided by the official website of the UN Human Rights Council, focused in particular on Women’s rights.
Denmark, Ireland, the UK, and Sweden have all shed light on women in Morocco and have submitted a list of questions and recommendations tackling domestic violence, marital rape and inheritance laws in the country. An article issued today 5th of May by Mobilizing for Rights Associates foundation (MRA) indicates that «Among the 244 recommendations made by the Council to the Moroccan government, 61 of these recommendations address women's rights issues».
Women at the centre of the UPR
Indeed, NGOs have focused on the plans and strategies that the Moroccan government have put forward to address gender-based violence, and the preventive measures applied to stop forced marriage. Questions were mainly around urging Morocco to speed up the review of laws related to rape, and marriage such as Art 475. The recommendations raised during the UPR covered also different topics, referring to freedom of speech, Press code and Civil and Political rights.
In 2012, the Moroccan government accepted 24 recommendations concerning women and noted 2. According to a list provided by UPR.info, Morocco accepted «to put in place the necessary arrangements to implement the new Constitution’s guarantee of equality between men and women, submit to Parliament law on the protection of women from violence, and promote gender equality».
