Morocco's women surfers annoyed by harassment and prejudices

Young Moroccan women told AFP that they face prejudice and harassment when surfing in the Rabat coast.

«It’s easier in the winter because the beaches are empty, in the summer we suffer a lot of harassment, that’s why we pay attention to what we wear», 29-year-old surfer Meriem told the French press agency.

Meanwhile, Jalal Medkouri who runs a Surf Club in Rabat’s Udayas beach told the same source that «some families are ashamed that their daughters practice water sports».

Rim Bechar, who has also been practicing surf for years, joined the same opinion stating that when she first started the sports she was accompanied by her father. «Girls are often harassed by the boys», she told AFP.

In 2017, a United Nations survey revealed that almost 72 percent of men and 78 percent of women think «women who dress provocatively deserve to be harassed». Women surfers often wear wetsuits when surfing.

In February 2018, Morocco adopted a law that combats violence against women and criminalizes «acts considered forms of harassment, aggression, sexual exploitation or ill treatment».

The law was submitted in 2013 and was ratified through a vote of 112.