Address of Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami Speaker of the House of Representatives At Inauguration of the Parliamentary Forum on Equality and Parity

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Honorable Speaker of the House of Councilors; 

Esteemed Ministers; 

Esteemed President of the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council;

Esteemed President of the National Human Rights Council; 

Esteemed President of the Higher Authority for Audiovisual Communication;

Honorable members of the Board and Chairpersons of the Parliamentary Groups, Caucus, and Standing Committees;

Honorable Representatives; 

Ladies and gentlemen, the representatives of the brotherly and friendly parliaments; 

Esteemed Representative of UN Women; 

Ladies and gentlemen, the representatives of UN specialized agencies; 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

I am honored to declare open, alongside you, the proceedings of the first edition of the Parliamentary Forum on Equality and Parity, organized by the House of Representatives under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, under the theme: "The Parliament: An Essential Lever for Strengthening Equality and Parity."

First and foremost, I would like to express my profound gratitude and my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to His Majesty, may Allah glorify him, for graciously bestowing his High Patronage upon this Forum, thus reflecting His unwavering solicitude to promoting the rights of women, in particular, and the family in general, and to ensuring equity in all its dimensions. 

Ensuring equality and equity, guaranteeing women's rights, and increasing their presence within representative and executive decision-making positions were some of the foundations of the 25-year reign of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, who has been and remains keen to ensure that the protection of women's rights and the preservation of their dignity are at the center of the reforms conducted by the Kingdom during a quarter of a century.

Ladies and gentlemen,

While detailing the reforms conducted by the Kingdom during this period in terms of granting women their human rights might be long, I still consider it my duty to state some of them by way of reminder. In this context, I should mention the adoption of the Family Code in 2004, in which the High Royal Directives had a decisive role so as to make it a law that is fair to women, children, and the whole family. Then, the Kingdom proceeded to reform the Citizenship Code in order to enable Moroccan mothers to pass on their nationality to their children. I should also mention the adoption of positive discrimination to increase the representation of women in the Parliament and the other institutions at the territorial level, the accession of the Kingdom to several international charters and instruments linked to women’s rights, and the adoption of the Law on combatting violence against women. The Kingdom has also been keen to render the economic and social empowerment of women a transversal objective of national laws and public policies, adopt gender-sensitive budgeting, and support social economy and its mechanisms, as women assume prominent roles in promoting and benefiting from this vital field, among other acclaimed reforms. 

The inscription of the rights of women and the family in their various dimensions in the Constitution and the explicit quotation of non-discrimination was a defining and decisive milestone in the reform process as the provisions of the Constitution stipulate human rights, including women’s rights, through the First Article of the Title on Fundamental Rights and Liberties that underscores that “Men and women enjoy on an equal footing the civil, political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights and liberties outlined in the Constitution and the agreements and charters ratified by the Kingdom.” This step embodies noble dimensions and particular symbolism. It also represents a message we must keep in mind for the present and the future. 

What makes the Moroccan reform model, in this area as in other fields, unique is that it emerges within a context of consensus, consultation, and engagement and that it is built on valuation and accumulation, which ensures its efficiency, sustainability, and richness, and makes it open to further development and amelioration by way of interacting with national and international instruments. 

In this respect, we should recall the keenness of His Majesty to launch a national dialogue and consultations to reform the Family Code 20 years after its adoption. In this respect, His Majesty gathered an authority composed of constitutional institutions and governmental departments and assigned it the mission to oversee this dialogue, conduct broad consultations, hold hearing sessions with the various components of society, and receive their propositions. This process culminated in a final report drafted by said authority and presented in late March to the Head of Government ahead of its submission to His Majesty the King, the Commander of the Faithful.

Ladies and gentlemen,

If we must choose a title for the Moroccan model of reform and development, then it must be the constitutionalization and institutionalization of human rights, at the heart of which figure women’s rights, and granting them an economic, social, and cultural tenor, besides their institutional implementation; and if there is a trait that marks this reform process, then it should be update and modernization. 

In the footsteps of every democratic State worthy of the name, the Moroccan Parliament assumes a decisive role in conducting reforms, monitoring their impact, and ensuring their assimilation by society. In this respect, we can mention the example of the evaluation of Law 103-13 on combatting violence against women, which was conducted by the House of Representatives during the past legislative year, among other initiatives in legislation, control, and parliamentary diplomacy.

Aware of the noble nature of women’s participation in the discussions regarding rights, equality, parity, equity, empowerment, and participation, the House of Representatives was committed to transform the creation of the Thematic Working Group in Charge of Equality and Parity into the subject of a permanent section within its Rules of Procedure. 

On this occasion, I would like to commend the vivacity of this Group in its current and previous formation, as its propositions and activities contribute to enriching the institutional and public debate regarding the theme assigned to it and to elaborating and reflecting on propositions to reinforce equality and parity. 

It is within this scope that falls the organization of this Forum that we wish to be a space for dialogue with the participation of several constitutional institutions, governance bodies, and civil society organizations that advocate women’s rights, seeking the elaboration of avenues that would strengthen equality and parity under the provisions of the Constitution and the requirements of the international instruments ratified by our country.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We hope this Forum and its debates will contribute to elaborating ideas that give birth to further propositions to enhance the achieved gains. As it is a matter of a social question bound not only by laws but also by culture and social beliefs, consensus and persuasion are hence essential to succeed in this process. In this regard, we must all recall the provisions of the Constitution and the directives of the Commander of the Faithful, His Majesty the King, who is trusted with the questions of the family and is keen to preserve its rights and ensure its sustainability. 

It would also be beneficial to reinforce interaction and cooperation with the national parliaments of friendly countries in two ways. The first one would be learning more about the comparative and best practices regarding equality, parity, and participation, while the second one would be the introducing our national practice in this field and the structural reforms we conduct according to our Constitution, our history, our institutional traditions, and our national context that is open to noble universal values.

In our quest in this area, we rely on the Royal solicitude to render the idea of continuous reform a prevailing national horizon, which falls within the scope of the responsible commitment of our country to international institutional action aimed at achieving the political and economic empowerment of women based on respecting the sovereignty of States, their values, and their cultures, while always keeping in mind the notions of right and equity. 

On this note, I recall the efforts of the international parliamentary community to achieve parity within representative institutions. At the domestic level, I want to mention the excellent contributions and the sincere commitment of Moroccan women, as well as the earnestness they show in their work at the House of Representatives and the other representative and executive institutions. I should also mention the vigilance, earnestness, and perseverance of the female civil society and the civil society bodies working to empower women.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The proceedings of this Forum coincide with the launch of the annual campaign of the United Nations: “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence,” in which engages the Kingdom of Morocco, who is always mobilized to fight violence against women.

The number accompanying the slogan: “Unite to End Violence against Women,” which denotes the killing of one woman every ten minutes worldwide, shows that it is the matter of a dangerous and condemned global phenomenon that tarnishes the countries of both the North and South and puts us before a collective test to confront this shameful phenomenon that transgresses all beliefs and contradicts the spirit of civilization.

I seize this opportunity to laud the efforts of international organizations, primarily the United Nations, to curb violence against women, and I once again welcome their representatives who are present among us. I also wish to welcome the representatives of the brotherly African Parliaments that are taking part in this Forum.

I also wish to thank you for accepting our invitation, for your contribution to our proceedings.

Thank you for your keen listening.