International Women's Day. The struggle for equality

The shocking case of Amina Filali, forced to marry the man who raped her shocked the world and Moroccan public opinion. The fact that legislation has now been enacted to prevent this happening does not lessen the fact that the status of women in Moroccan society is still very far from equality in the work place and their daily lives.

Whilst improvements have helped women in urban environments their counterparts in the rural community still suffer from having to leave school early to help with the family and many still cannot read or write. Whilst the Family code forbids the marriage of girls under 18 the practice still goes on.

The Minister for Family and Solidarity, Mrs Bassima Hakkaoui ,defended the advances in women's status and equality in Morocco in New York the fight against violence against women in all its forms, is a cornerstone of the protection of women's rights and a duty that we all participate in a spirit of cooperation and openness on the various positive experiences in the field. In fact, one in three Moroccan women are abused. "Nearly six million Moroccan women suffer from violence in all its forms," ​​and in 55% of cases, it is "domestic violence", asserts Ms. Hakkaoui. One might almost call it routine.

Many women actually fear a regression in their status in the face of new Islamist pressures all over North Africa as witnessed in Tunisia with fears expressed about the issue of the new constitution actually reducing the rights of women in society. Mrs Hakkaoui, it has been remarked is the only woman minister in the PJD government.

The perception in the West is that women have less rights in the Islamic world with forced marriages occurring frequently . It is up to the authorities to clearly establish the rights of women so that they are fully equal to men and can live their lives as free individuals on a par with men and it is up to society as a whole to put this into practice. This has not happened yet.