Africa | Morocco | Crimes

Moroccan women ‘freed’ over wearing skirts in Inezgane

Two Moroccan women have been acquitted of indecency charges after they went on trial for wearing short skirts, their lawyer says. They were arrested on 16 June in a market in Inezgane, near Agadir, after being heckled by market traders. Their case sparked a national outcry and an internet petition calling the arrest an attack on personal freedom attracted thousands of signatures. Hundreds of lawyers offered to defend the women in court. Women's rights campaigner Fouzia Assouli told the AFP news agency the acquittal showed that wearing a skirt "is not a crime".

Africa | Morocco | Activism

Women in Morocco start campaign in defense of short dresses

Source: Pangea Today

Moroccan cyberspace has been flooded with a women’s outcry a few days after two women in the city of Inezgane in the south of the Arab country were charged with breaching the community standard of public modesty for wearing “short dresses.” Security forces took the two women in when they were verbally threatened by one of the merchants at the market where they were shopping. He was denouncing the ladies’ outfits. The incident raised controversy on social media and among women who considered the police behavior as obstructing individual freedoms stipulated in the Moroccan co

Africa | Morocco | Culture

Abortion in Morocco: will the king approve a progressive law?

Source: theguardian

A new abortion law is currently being debated in Morocco, led by the king and a sacked gynaecologist. Will a progressive result be achieved? “If the new abortion law addresses only 10% of the cases, what’s the point?” says Dr Chafik Chraibi, a gynaecologist and leading activist against illegal abortion in Morocco. “What are we going to do with the 90% remaining? We need a sustainable law that is going to serve this and future generations.” Morocco is now considering legalising abortion, polarising debate between conservatives and liberals, who fear a partial law that will only

Africa | Morocco | Society

Moroccan women gear up for rally to demand equality

Source: Al Arabiya News

The government unveiled last week a draft law to established a specialized “authority to ensure parity between men and woman” as laid out in the constitution. The draft law could be put to vote in the parliament next week and if passed it would be a major win for women’s rights activists in the country.