Under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco has made the promotion of gender equality a proactive strategy, stemming from the conviction that equality between women and men is both a fundamental right and a legal and socio-economic imperative, said Mr. Bouhlal, who spoke at the 2nd edition of “International Women’s Day”, held in the Japanese capital.
Reviewing Morocco’s progress in the area of women’s empowerment, the diplomat recalled that the 2011 Constitution, in its article 19, enshrines equality between women and men in all areas, and ensures that the State works towards the achievement of this objective.
He also recalled the adoption in 2004 of the Moudawana, the lifting in 2008 of reservations made to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women as well as the promulgation in 2018 of Law 103.13 on violence against women, which criminalizes all forms of violence against women.
Mr. Bouhlal underlined that this dynamic has been reinforced by the adoption of several government strategies, such as the Government Plan for Equality as well as the National Integrated Program for the Economic Empowerment of Women and Girls.
Regarding gender equality in the area of public management, the ambassador recalled that following the general elections of September 2021, three women were elected to head the largest cities in the Kingdom: the capital Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech.
The 2nd edition of “International Women’s Day” was marked by the participation of the Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Suzuki Takako, several MPs, members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Japan, as well as representatives of the media and civil society.
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse