Child Marriage Persists in Morocco: 13% of Rural Unions Involve Minors

In some regions, child marriage represents a very high rate, sometimes equal to that of authenticated marriage, especially in the Draa-Tafilalet region. It is precisely the high rate of this type of marriage that prompted the association Droits et Justice to launch a study in April 2019, the results of which were delivered on March 7.

This survey was conducted among 627 women, 408 of whom lived in cities and 207 in rural areas. Among the women surveyed, aged 30 to 78, many were forced to marry from the age of 14, in rural areas in the Draa-Tafilalet region, up to 46 years old, the maximum age, in rural areas in the Casablanca-Settat region. Interestingly, the sample also included 12 men who were married as minors. As reasons that can explain these forced unions, there is vulnerability, poverty, lack of schooling and social pressure. But also the legislative provisions authorizing the marriage of minors.

However, according to Article 19 of the Family Code, "the age of marriage is acquired, for the boy and the girl, at 18 Gregorian years completed". This article made it possible to standardize the age of majority, because for years, civil, criminal and matrimonial capacities were reached at different ages: 21 years for civil majority, 16 years for criminal majority, 18 years for men and 15 years for women with regard to matrimonial majority.

However, the Moudouwana, in its Article 20, authorizes the family to request a dispensation of age at 15 years completed. And it is, according to the association Droits et Justice, this derogation made to the Family Code that is widely used by the courts.

However, the survey showed that in rural areas, there are "contract" marriages between fathers and husbands residing abroad. In these cases, the marriage is promised in exchange for large sums of money. The survey reveals that in 40% of cases, the minor wife and the groom are often related by family ties. He can be the cousin, the neighbor or even an acquaintance of the father or the guardian of the bride.

Similarly, consanguineous marriage represents 18% of marriages contracted during the survey period. In rural areas, it is 20.41% against 13.51% in cities.