Seminar on the Role of Parliamentarians in Combatting Violence Against Women

The House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) organize a seminar on the “Role of parliamentarians in combatting violence against women.” The seminar will take place on December 5, 2022, at the seat of the Parliament in Rabat, as part of the joint program "Support to the national mechanism for the prevention of torture in Morocco and the development of the role of parliament in the consolidation of democracy in Morocco 2020-2023" funded by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe.

The event will feature the participation of parliamentarians, members of the Justice, Legislation and Human Rights Committee and other committees of the Moroccan Parliament, members of PACE and the Parliamentary Network Women Free from Violence, national and international experts, the representative of the European Union in the Kingdom of Morocco and the Head of the Council of Europe’s Office in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The participants will cover mainly the international standards and the work of the Council of Europe in the field of violence against women and domestic violence, the “Convention of the Council of Europe on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence” (Istanbul Convention), as well as on the progress and commitments of Morocco in this field with regard to women’s empowerment and guaranteeing their rights.

It should be noted that the 2011 Constitution enshrined the principle of equality between men and women in Morocco. Later, Law 103-13 entered into force in September 2018 and was incorporated into the Moroccan Criminal Code; it mainly aims to provide legal protection to women victims of violence. Furthermore, the New Development Model emphasizes the importance of ensuring no tolerance for all forms of violence and discrimination against women.